Following Your Heart
by valsolo
Summary: Six years after TPM, Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi is sent to investigate the mysterious disappearance of children on the planet of Teemar. During his mission, he finds something he wasn't looking for!
1. Default Chapter

Title: Following Your Heart 

Author: valsolo 

Genre: Romance/ Adventure 

Rating: PG 

Disclaimer: This is written for pure fan enjoyment and is not meant to infringe upon the rights of George Lucas. I just appreciate his creations! 

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Chapter 1-- 

"Final count stands at eleven this time around, sir." The young man stood at attention waiting for acknowledgment from his superior. The leader of this small group was silent as he made the mental calculations in his mind. Eleven would bring in a nice pile of credits, but he craved much more than this shipment would garnish. Realizing that his subordinate was still standing there, he quickly dismissed the eager-to-please boy. 

"Yes, of course. Very good, Deek. Tell Yung we're ready to lift off for Kessel as soon as possible. We have goods to deliver and credits to collect." Deek turned to go but was stopped by an added command. "And bring me the holoprojector. I need to contact the boss." 

A chill ran up the spine of the young man at the mention of the _'boss'._ It always did. Even though Deek had only seen him in holograms, the dark figure emanated evil, it seemed. 

"Yes, sir." Then he turned and speedily moved to accomplish his assigned duties, all the while trying desperately to ignore the eleven cries for help coming from the ship's cargo hold. 

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Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi strode swiftly down the corridor of the Jedi temple headed toward the Council chambers. He was racking his brain trying to figure out what Anakin could have possibly done this time to warrant such an urgent request from Master Yoda and the others. His young padawan was so often finding trouble, and Obi-Wan was always the one saving his hide. Even after six years together, his young charge was still prone to flights of fancy far too frequently for his master's liking. 

Obi-Wan was already mentally preparing himself to defend Anakin to the council as he rounded the last corner and came face to face with those immense wooden doors. He would never forget each visit he made there, especially the last he had made with his own master, Qui-Gon. Shaking off the haunting memory, he took a deep breath and opened the door. 

"Ah, Jedi Kenobi, come in," came the aged voice of Yoda. Obi-Wan looked around the circular chamber at the faces of the wizened Jedi Masters. His goal was to sit in one of those seats someday, but he was beginning to doubt the likelihood of that dream due to one mischievous padawan. 

Obi-Wan bowed in greetings to the assembled group and waited for the certain chastising. 

"Jedi Kenobi," Master Mace Windu began after an awkward silence. "We have summoned you here at this time to discuss a problem which demands our immediate attention." 

_'Here it comes,'_ Kenobi thought as he lowered his head and stared at his black Jedi boots. Every time he entered this room he felt like a young padawan being scolded. The frustration came from knowing he was not the perpetrator but was still being held accountable for Anakin's actions. 

"We have received a message from a planet close to the outer rim that is quite disturbing, and they are requesting our help." 

A look of confusion shone on Obi-Wan's face as he gradually realized that this had nothing to do with his padawan. Master Yoda easily picked up on Kenobi's relief and couldn't resist a comment. 

"Ah, relieved you are, eh? Expecting something else you were." A chuckle came from the elfin creature. Obi-Wan blushed at being read so easily. "Please, continue, Master Windu," Yoda conceded. 

"The planet Teemar is home to a wide variety of species, a cosmopolitan type world, if you will. However, recently there have been several mass kidnappings of non-humans. The crimes are believed to somehow be connected to a human supremacy group." 

"Those types of groups have been around for quite some time," Obi-Wan stated. 

"Yes, but what makes this even more disturbing is that the kidnappers are targeting **_children_**." Mace paused to allow the seriousness of the situation to soak into Obi-Wan's mind. "We have reason to believe that the children are being sold as slaves, and what is more unsettling is that it may all be linked to the government here on Coruscant." 

Obi was definitely listening now. Over the past couple of years he had noticed subtle changes in the attitudes of some towards non-humans, but had tried to ignore it in hopes it would pass. Now upon hearing that defenseless children were the victims of this growing prejudice, he was intent on helping in any way he could. It was the right thing to do. 

"Where do I fit into all of this?" he asked with a raised brow, his face in that typical Jedi scowl. Over the past year he had let his hair grow to just above his shoulders and for the first time chanced growing a beard. Anakin had teased him a bit at first, but Obi-Wan now felt quite comfortable with his new look. 

"We want you to travel to Teemar and investigate this disturbance. Find out the facts and report back to us. We will then decide what steps to take next in this matter." Mace Windu leaned back into his chair, his fingertips pressing on one another in his familiar pose. 

"When do Anakin and I leave?" Obi-Wan asked, ready as always to do his duty. 

"Skywalker will not be accompanying you this time," Ki-Adi-Mundi informed him. 

"What?!" Kenobi asked in surprise. 

"Decided we have that this would be a good opportunity for you to take a small break from your padawan," Yoda began. 

"Yes," Windu continued. "We have felt the strain the boy puts on you from time to time, and we feel that you deserve a respite from your responsibility to the '_chosen one'_. The council also feels that the issues this mission deals with may ignite the passions of the boy, seeing as he himself was once a slave. It will be better for him to remain here at the temple where he can continue his training under our strict supervision." 

Obi-Wan stood silently contemplating all that had been said. Were they really giving him a break? So many times he had wished for just a day without the responsibility that was Anakin Skywalker. Now here was his chance. He had never been alone on a mission. Could he do it on his own? Did he have a choice? 

"Okay," he said. "When do I leave then?" 

"Tomorrow morning. May the Force be with you." Those final words from Master Windu heralded the end of this meeting, so Obi-Wan bowed once more before leaving the council chamber. 

His Jedi cape flowing behind him, Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi walked pensively back to his quarters. His first order of business was to inform his sixteen year old padawan that he was being left behind. Knowing full well Anakin's love of adventure and space travel, Kenobi knew this would not be a pleasant task. 

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"... and that is how a mynock eats. Pretty disgusting, huh, class?" 

A light knock sounded, and the young teacher moved to answer the door. "Okay, boys and girls, I want you to continue working on your independent reports. You each have your data pads, so I expect you to use this time wisely." The students nodded and got to work. She beamed with pride at her class. They had come a long way in her time with them, and she had become so attached. The happenings of the past few weeks made her even more protective than usual of these precious treasures entrusted to her care. 

Poking her head out the door, she was surprised to find the school chairman in the hall. 

"Chairman Calder, what can I do for you?" the teacher asked stepping into the hall. A class full of ears and other listening appendages strained to hear the conversation taking place outside when the door was shut. 

The short corpulent man looked nervous as he wiped away a few sweat beads from his brow. "They are sending a Jedi Knight here to investigate the..... incidents." 

"Well... that's wonderful, right?" she asked, confused by the man's anxiety. "I thought that was why you sent for them, sir." 

"Yes, yes, of course," he said absently. "The Jedi will be arriving after school today. I would like for you to meet him at the spaceport and see that he makes it to his hotel. Then please bring him here to the school for a meeting with the proper authorities and myself." 

"Me?" she asked. "But I had plans for this evening, sir---" 

"Miss Zendar, I hate to impose, but this is urgent business... the children, you know." 

The children. Well, now she felt two inches high. 

"Yes, of course, sir. I'll just cancel. It won't be a problem." 

"Thank you, Miss Zendar." With that, the nervous little man left, and the young teacher returned to her classroom where a room full of children were desperately pretending to be hard at work. 

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Obi-Wan Kenobi had plenty of time to rehash his parting words with his padawan during his flight to Teemar. Anakin had been quite upset that he would not be going on this mission with his master. He was young and hungry for adventure and didn't really understand why the council would deny him this opportunity. Obi-Wan had tried over and over to explain, but Anakin, in his youthful pride, refused to see the reasoning behind the decision. 

"You're really going to leave me here, Master?" Anakin had finally asked when he realized his ranting was getting him nowhere. 

"The council has already made the decision, Anakin. It is my duty to obey them." 

"Duty! Hrmph!" exclaimed the boy. "You're tied to duty, aren't you, Obi-Wan? Don't you ever just want to throw caution to the wind and let yourself go? Do something not sanctioned by the all-powerful council?" 

Obi-Wan looked at his padawan as if he were speaking a foreign language. Anakin chuckled. 

"No, I guess you don't. You really should try it sometime." 

"Try what?" 

"Following your heart instead of your bloody mind all the time!" 

Anakin loved his master, but was often frustrated by his constant devotion to the straight and narrow. Obi-Wan needed to live a little, and that thought helped Anakin to calm his own disappointment. He knew his master felt an overwhelming responsibility for him and that his devotion had rescued Anakin many a time. Yet the young padawan longed to see his master taste a bit of life among the ordinary. 

Let myself go.... Obi-Wan mused to himself as he sat in meditation on the transport. When had he ever had the opportunity? First he had spent most of his youth keeping tabs on his impulsive master, and now he was forever keeping tabs on his impulsive padawan. He had never gotten a chance to follow his heart, as Anakin had said. No, he had long ago given up any notion of a _normal_ life, and settled on the reality of his Jedi calling which promised to be filled with business instead of pleasure. 

_____________________________________________________________________ 

Sari Zendar sat at her desk watching the last child gather his things and leave. The room was a mess from their afternoon science experiment, and she groaned when she realized she wouldn't have time to clean up before leaving for the spaceport. 

"Hey, beautiful!" came a voice from the doorway. She turned to see a handsome face, and suddenly her mood was lightened. "Ready for tonight? I hear this place has the best Mon Calamari seafood you've ever tasted." His dark brown eyes twinkled as he came toward her desk, and she almost forgot her call to duty. 

"Oh, Jaik, I'm so sorry, but I'm going to have to cancel." 

"What?" the man said as his face registered shock. He wasn't used to being 'canceled'. 

"Chairman Calder asked me to do him a favor. Well, he didn't really ask..... Anyway, I have to go to the spaceport and pick up a Jedi that Coruscant is sending to investigate the kidnappings." A strange look flashed across Jaik's face at the mention of a Jedi. 

"They're sending a Jedi?" he asked. "Whoa! That was fast!" 

Sari began to gather up her belongings as she continued to speak. "Yeah, well, it's about time the government took an interest in this type of crime. Our children are in grave danger, and we don't have time to waste. Anyway, I am sorry to break our date. I was really looking forward to it. I will take a rain check though." 

She was so very self-confident. That was one of the things that had first drawn him to her. Even though he had had more elegant and beautiful women in his time, something about Sari made her more desirable. She was a challenge... a nice diversion during his stay on Teemar. This was to be their first date, and now it was postponed due to the arrival of a stuffy old monk. 

"I could go with you," he suggested. 

"No, that's okay. I have to take him to his hotel and then bring him back here for a meeting with the authorities and Calder. I have to sit in on it, too, since I had some of those kids last year." Suddenly she stopped and her eyes began to tear. She dropped her head to regain her composure, then lifted her chin up with a forced smile. 

"No, I don't want to ruin your evening, too. Let's just make it another time, okay?" 

"Sure," he conceded with a forced smile of his own. "I'm going to hold you to it." Then he turned and left the room with a much disappointed young woman watching his exit. 

_"I'm giving up that for a night with some boring old guys?!"_ Only for the kids, she assured herself. She would do anything for them. 

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Sari surveyed the spaceport lobby looking for the Jedi. It shouldn't be too hard to spot one, she thought. The stream of people exiting the newly arrived transport began to trickle off, and there was still no sign of him. Sari was just about ready to call Chairman Calder with the bad news when one last figure strode down the entrance ramp. He was dressed in a long black cape with the hood pulled over his head, and the way he walked so confidently into the lobby made all those around stop and take notice. Surely this was the man, Sari thought. 

She began to walk towards him, hoping her guess would be right. It was getting late, and the others would be awaiting his arrival at the school. He must have sensed her purpose for he stopped in front of her and lowered his hood. Sari was taken aback by his appearance. He wasn't old at all, but closer to her own age, she guessed. And he was quite attractive, albeit a bit unkempt with shoulder length red hair and a closely cropped beard. The eyes, though, were what struck her first... so piercingly blue with just a hint of green. He was not what she had expected. The man spoke, and the sound of his lush accented voice was quite disarming. 

"Are you from the school?" he asked. 

"Yes, yes I am," Sari managed to blurt out as she thrust her hand forward in greeting. 

"I'm Sari Zendar, a teacher at the school." 

Obi-Wan clumsily took her hand, not used to this type of salutation, and introduced himself. 

"I am Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Knight. I'm pleased to meet you, Miss Zendar." 

"Likewise Mr. Kenobi," she replied, as she slowly pulled her hand away. _His hand is so_ _warm,_ she thought. 

"Please, just call me Obi-Wan." He chuckled at her address. "Mister makes me feel so old." She blushed just a little before quickly regaining her composure. 

"All right then. Shall we go? They'll be waiting on us at the school. I can fill you in on some of the details on our way, if you like." The Jedi nodded his agreement and followed the young woman out of the spaceport. 

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When they reached her speeder, he was quick to offer her assistance by opening the door. 

"Thank you," she responded. "Not too many men around here do that anymore." 

"That's a shame. I've always thought that politeness had its own rewards." He smiled and Sari's heart did a little flip. He was so attractive in an unusual sort of way, not at all like Jaik whose stunning good looks brought him stares amidst any crowd. And that voice.... 

"I'll take you to your hotel so you can get checked in, and then we'll head on over to the school. I'm sure you're tired, but I have no idea how long the meeting will last." 

"Don't worry about me. Jedi are trained to handle exhaustion and hunger. So, what can you tell me about these missing children?" Obi-Wan shifted in his seat so that he could observe this young woman as she spoke. He had learned long ago that one could learn a lot by just listening and watching. 

She was very open in sharing all she knew. After doing a light mind touch, he could tell she was telling the truth, that he could trust her. Even without the Force, he could tell that her students were her life. He chuckled inwardly as he realized how familiar that sounded. 

He also found her quite attractive to look at. She was not overly made up with garish clothes and decoration, but instead dressed in a simple blue dress. Her near shoulder-length brown hair swept back away from her cheeks and displayed her pretty round face and big blue eyes. Just watching her talk and drive, he could tell that she liked to laugh a lot, which was quite a change from the inhabitants of the Jedi temple. She told all that she knew about the kidnappings and then began to tell him a little about some of the missing children. 

"... and then he ended up turning in the best project in the whole class!" she finished with a huge smile. Obi-Wan couldn't help but smile, too, at her obvious delight, but then her smile quickly disappeared and was replaced by a quivering bottom lip. "If any harm has come to those children, I don't know what I'll do." 

Instinctively, Obi-Wan's hand reached out and touched her shoulder in comfort. She turned and offered another sweet smile which was once again contagious. The Jedi slowly removed his hand as she continued with another story. 

_____________________________________________________________________ 

After checking into his hotel, he returned to the waiting speeder and the young teacher. When they pulled up to the school, he was almost disappointed that their ride was over. He had truly enjoyed hearing her stories and listening to her pleasant feminine voice. 

"Well, here we are," she said putting the speeder into park mode. Obi-Wan looked up at the ancient building in surprise. For some reason he had expected something a little more up to date than the antique in front of him. It was made out of some type of organic brick as opposed to the transparisteel so common on Coruscant. 

"Impressive, isn't it?" Sari said sarcastically. "I really don't know how they expect us to prepare these kids for the future by supplying us with nothing but fossils to use. But that's a debate for another time." 

Obi-Wan followed her into the school. He hadn't noticed until now how short she actually was. _ 'So small, but so dynamic'_, he thought to himself as he watched her curvy form walk down the hallway. Suddenly realizing that he was ogling her, he turned red. 

_'What are you doing?!_' he scolded himself. _'This isn't like you at all. You're here on_ _business, and it doesn't involve gawking at the locals.'_ He shook his head trying to snap himself out of it. Jedi Knights did not focus on such things... usually. 

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	2. Chapter 2

Following Your Heart-- Chapter 2 

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"So, they've sent a Jedi, have they?" The man leaned back in his plush, oversized chair and stared off into the distance deep in thought, while the figure on the hologram waited for further instructions. Perrin was getting up in years, but his experiences had made him wise. He no longer rushed his strategies along, but instead took the time to consider every angle. If he hadn't learned this lesson, he wouldn't be alive right now, watching another pathetic lackey squirm in anticipation. 

"And what was decided upon at this meeting, may I ask?" Perrin stared down his hawk-like nose at the informant and raised one thin eyebrow. 

"The Jedi is just going to investigate for now. He'll just be interviewing the staff and families. If he finds anything, he's to send for back-up. Sir, I don't see this as a problem for our scheduled pickup later this week.... in my own opinion," he quickly added. 

"Your opinion indeed," Perrin replied. Another pause had the snitch squirming once again, and Perrin reveled in the reaction. 

"All right, then. Keep me informed of his progress, and we will plan on maintaining our previous schedule." Without giving the other time to respond, Perrin reached over and switched off the holoprojector. A Jedi certainly threw a bit of a monkey wrench into things. They would have to be more careful this time. Perrin's brief brush with uncertainty was soon replaced by the jingle of more credits coming his way by the week's end. The hungrier the 'boss' grew for the destruction of the alien races in the galaxy, the heavier Perrin's bank account would grow. Money and power made such compatible bedfellows. 

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Sari's speeder pulled up in front of the Grand Sema Hotel for the second time in less than three hours. It had been a long day and very emotionally and physically draining as well. Obi-Wan Kenobi could sense that her mind was troubled, yet he refrained from delving in with the Force to uncover the cause. Instead he opted for a more conventional approach. 

"Is something wrong?" he asked. Sari turned from her thoughts to offer a response. 

"Huh? Oh... no, it's nothing really." 

"Well, it must be something. You haven't said a word since we left the school. I was hoping to hear more stories of your life as a teacher," he said with a hint of teasing in his voice. 

She gave him the infamous teacher glare and said, "Are you implying that I talk too much, Jedi Kenobi?" She couldn't help but smile at his lame attempt to look innocent. 

"Who? Me? No, I would never imply such a thing. I was actually telling the truth, and please, call me Obi-Wan." 

Sari felt a little light headed. It was his eyes and his voice and that grin..... She was feeling like a school girl with a silly crush, and it had to stop. What was it about this man that made her feel so at ease, like she could disclose all of her deepest hopes and dreams without batting an eye? Jedi mind trick---- had to be, she thought. 

"You haven't answered my question, Miss Zendar. What has you so preoccupied?" 

"Like I said, it was nothing really..... I was just surprised to see Jaik at the meeting tonight. I had no idea he was involved, and he didn't mention it earlier today. He teaches some of our older children and doesn't really know any of the missing students. I was just surprised, that's all." She tried to shrug it off, but Obi-Wan could tell that she was still uncomfortable about it. 

"Was he the tall one with the dark hair?" Sari nodded. Obi-Wan had noticed he kept a close eye on Sari throughout the entire proceedings while the other eye had been casting a possessive glare at Obi-Wan. "Yeah, he was rather quiet during the meeting. Are you two--- involved?" 

Sari was surprised at his question and it took her a moment to come up with a fitting response. "Involved? No, not really. I mean we were supposed to go to dinner this evening, but then----" 

"But then I arrived and ruined your plans. I'm very sorry, Miss Zendar, for imposing upon your evening." 

"No, you didn't impose, really. And please.... call me Sari." Her face was so unbelievably lovely in the moonlight, Obi-Wan thought. 

"All right then.... Sari. That's a beautiful name. May I ask what it means?" 

No one had ever asked her that before, and she was delightfully surprised. "It means 'noble'." 

"How fitting," the Jedi said softly. ".... for a teacher, of course," he added quickly, afraid he was revealing more of his instant attraction for her than he should. 

Climbing out of the speeder, he turned and offered a simple goodbye before entering the hotel. Sari watched him walk all the way to the door, his cape flowing behind him. He was quite the mysterious figure dressed all in black. As she started the speeder again, she let slip a girlish giggle. 

"Sari, you are acting so ridiculous!" she scolded herself. Still, she found herself rushing home to bed in hopes of speeding up the time until she could see him again. 

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"You look very pretty today, Miss Zendar." Sari looked up from her desk at the young female Twi'lek standing there. 

"Why thank you, Nay'la," Sari replied gratefully. The young girl smiled and took her seat. Not-so-hushed whispers could be heard from the other students as Sari finished organizing her lessons for the day. 

"I wonder why the teacher's all dressed up?" asked one. 

"Maybe she has an important meeting or something," another one added. 

A quiet chuckle escaped the teacher. The student had been right. She was planning on a meeting, so to speak. Her hopes were high that she might just happen to run into a certain Jedi today. After finally getting home last night, she had had the sudden urge to do a bit of research. So, logging onto the galactic network, Sari had pulled up everything she could find on one Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Knight, and had been very pleased at what she had found. He was quite the hero many times over according to the media holoreporters. It had surprised her a little since he seemed so completely unassuming and humble. That just made him all the more attractive to her now. 

She had hoped not to be so obvious, but now the whole class knew something was up. They seemed to notice every little change from the ordinary, like if she wore her hair a certain way or if she ventured a new color of lipstick. Not only were they very observant, but they were also very honest and open about their opinion of what they observed. Sari suddenly remembered trying a new hair style only to have a student greet her with, "Bad hair day, huh?" She suddenly started feeling a little anxious about all the extra time she had spent primping that morning. 

She tried to push all silly thoughts out of her mind and rounded her desk to start the day's lessons when a voice threw her in a tail spin. 

"Good morning." It was him! That voice was unmistakable. 

She felt her insides start to flutter and slowly turned to the door. Could the children see on her face how absolutely delighted and terrified she was to see him? 

"Good morning," she finally said. "Please come in." The whispers instantly stopped as all eyes followed the visitor. Again he wore his cape, without the hood this time. He wasn't extremely tall, but his broad shoulders gave him such a commanding presence. The children and their teacher were in awe. 

"I don't mean to intrude, but I thought I would start by interviewing some of the children in your class, since we're already acquainted. I hope you don't mind." 

"Mind?.... No, of course not. You can use those desks in the corner over there, if you like." _Did his eyes always twinkle like that?_ she wondered. 

Obi-Wan nodded and took a deep breath. Being a Jedi had given him the added ability of heightened senses, which could often be a bad thing. But right now...... she smelled beautiful, and he couldn't get enough. 

Sari turned back to her class just as a hand shot into the air. "Yes?" 

Aido, a male Rodian, grinned mischievously as he readied to ask his question. "Is he your boyfriend, Miss Zendar?" Sari instantly turned red as a burst of giggles erupted all around. She dared not look at Obi-Wan, but could hear him chuckle under his breath. 

"No, silly. Mr. Rafe is her boyfriend!" replied another student. 

"Ahem," Sari interrupted trying desperately to change the subject. "Class, I would like to introduce to you Mr. Kenobi. He's a Jedi Knight all the way from Coruscant. He's come here to help us find out what happened to your friends that are.... missing." 

"A Jedi!! That's so wizard!" shouted one of the boys in the back. 

"Do you have one of those laser swords?" another asked. 

"Ebo! Please sit down," Sari directed in hopes of reeling her students back in. 

"No, it's okay," Obi-Wan assured her as he threw back his cloak and unclipped his light saber. Holding it in front of him, he moved toward the class and took control. 

"Now, if you all sit back down and stay in your seats, I just might turn this on." All heads nodded in agreement. "But you can't get up because light sabers can be very dangerous." They were all hanging on his every word and movement as he pushed the button on the saber handle. A hum sounded as a blade of green light instantly appeared, and then a collective "Ahhhh!" filled the silence. Obi-Wan went on to briefly explain how it worked and emphasized the importance of only using it in defense. 

"A light saber is not a toy. That is one of the first lessons a padawan must learn before he or she is even allowed to touch a light saber." He continued for a few more minutes, answering some of the questions the students had, and Sari looked on in amazement. Effortlessly, he held their complete attention, something she often struggled to accomplish. 

Suddenly, she got the strange sensation that she was being watched. Glancing over at the door, she caught a glimpse of a retreating figure. She hurried into the hall just in time to see the back of Jaik Rafe turn the corner. A slight twinge of guilt entered her mind as she realized she hadn't really thought about Jaik since Obi-Wan had arrived. It seemed ages ago that Jaik had asked her for a date, much to the dismay of the other unattached females on staff. However, she thought that everyone else had been much more excited about the date than she had been. Dating and romance had never been as important to her as teaching, despite her family's frequent innuendoes about marriage. She had been satisfied spending all of her time and efforts on her students. 

She walked back inside her room, and Obi-Wan shot her a smile that turned her heart upside down. Yes... she had been satisfied with just the children..... but now...... 

_____________________________________________________________________ 

Obi-wan had taken over the corner of Sari's classroom and was conducting his interviews of the students. After explaining to the class that he would be reading their minds to look for clues, he began calling them back one by one. Children were so much more open to mind touch than adults, he noted. 

As he continued his work, his eyes kept drifting out the windows to a range of mountains in the distance. 

//There// a voice seemed to say over and over. He was still staring when Sari came up and laid her hand on his shoulder. 

"Is everything okay?" she asked in a hushed whisper. He quickly turned to face her. 

"Yes... just fine." 

"You know, you should be a teacher the way you handled them this morning. They were glued to your every word." 

Obi-Wan smiled shyly. "Well, I am a teacher of sorts, only I have just one student compared to your twenty, and I wish he paid half as much attention to me as your class does to you." 

"Yeah, right!" she chuckled sarcastically. Then, without thinking, she asked, "Anakin Skywalker is his name, isn't it?" Obi-Wan was surprised, and his face showed it. 

"Yes," he said suspiciously. "But how did you know? I don't recall mentioning him last night." Sari realized her slip and felt her face heat up. She didn't want him to know that she had 'researched' him. 

"Um.... I think I remember reading it in some article a while back...." she offered lamely. Little did he know that a while ago was only last night! 

"How far away are those mountains there?" he asked pointing out the window. 

Sari shrugged. "An hour or so by speeder. Why?" 

"Do you know where I could rent a speeder for the night?" he asked, avoiding her question. 

"Don't be silly. You can use mine. I'll be finished here by around four and then she's all yours." 

"I don't want to inconvenience you again, Miss---- Sari," he corrected with a slight blush. 

"It's no trouble at all." 

_____________________________________________________________________ 

Obi-Wan spent the last hour of the school day sitting in the corner contemplating the current situation he now found himself in. She was remarkable in her talent with the children. Her classroom was run with efficiency, yet she was so warm and caring towards all her students. They all wanted her attention, and he found himself envious when they got it. 

_'You're a fool, Obi-Wan Kenobi,'_ he told himself. _ 'What do you think you're doing? You_ _can't feel this way about someone you've just met, it's not...... it's not the Jedi way... a_ _Jedi craves not these things,'_ he muttered, trying very hard to convince himself that he believed every word he was saying, when deep down his heart was screaming out for something it had never had before. 

Closing his eyes, he tried to focus on the missing children and mysterious mountains again. Breathing in a few deep breaths, he felt the Force calm his mind, but despite all his attempts, his heart would simply not cooperate. 


	3. Chapter 3

Following Your Heart-- Chapter 3 

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Sari Zendar climbed behind the wheel of her speeder car. "Okay... where to?" she asked Obi-Wan Kenobi. 

"Well, I figured I could take you home and then---" 

"I'm not going home," she stated bluntly. The Jedi looked at her not expecting that response at all. "I'm coming with you," she added with a smile. 

"No," Obi-Wan said shaking his head. "I can't let you do that." 

"You can't _'let'_ me do that?" There was that teacher glare again, Obi noted. 

"It could be dangerous, and I don't want to---" 

"Hold on just a minute," she interrupted. "I'm still stuck on the whole you won't _'let'_ me thing. You don't have a choice. If you want to use my speeder and find your way to the mountains before morning, then you'll _'let'_ me come along." Obi-Wan was quite taken aback at her determination and didn't know what to say, so he just shook his head again hoping she would back down. 

She didn't. 

"Why not? Our children are in danger, and I refuse to sit back and do nothing. So why are you so opposed to my offer of help?" He knew the only way he could win this battle was if he used a little Jedi persuasion, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Besides, she was definitely not to be considered a weak mind, and his mind tricks would most likely backfire due to her strong will. 

"Look, there's something I didn't share at the meeting last night." He glanced around to make sure no one else was nearby before continuing. "The Jedi Council has reason to believe that these missing children are being.... sold into slavery." Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. He continued. "There's more. They also think that someone in the government is linked to this whole scheme." 

"Whoa... why didn't you say anything before?" she asked. 

"I had to be sure of who I could trust. Last night with the others... I didn't feel it was right for some reason." 

Sari tried to let this new information sink in as she stared at her steering bar. Slavery? That's what was happening to these children?... her children? A knot formed simultaneously in her stomach and her throat. 

"Now you see why I can't take you with me. This is serious business." 

"And that is exactly why I **am** coming with you. If you're thinking that you might find the kids up in that mountain, then I am your only hope of getting there soon." With that, she buckled up and turned on the speeder. 

Obi-Wan could only chuckle and be overwhelmed by the feelings for her that were rapidly growing inside his heart. He hadn't smiled this much in years. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

They spent the hour drive discussing many different topics. Mostly, Obi-Wan let her do the talking. He found that he simply loved hearing the sound of her voice no matter what she was saying. He was drawn to the movement of her lips as the words escaped, the dimple that appeared in her cheek when she laughed. A couple of times she caught him staring at her, and they both tried to hide a blush. 

They reached the foothills, and Sari pulled off of the road. Obi-Wan closed his eyes and reached out with the Force. He could feel something amiss somewhere up in the largest mountain and guided Sari as she ascended the winding road. 

All too soon, the road ended and there was no more trail for a speeder to follow. 

"Pull over there," Obi-Wan motioned. Sari parked the speeder and exited the vehicle as did the Jedi. Both surveyed their wooded surroundings wondering what to do next. 

_//Up there// _came the voice again to Obi-Wan. He studied a narrow stream that was trickling nearby. _//There.//_

"I'm going up there," he said returning to the speeder for his cloak. Sari did likewise, but Obi-Wan grabbed her arm. "No... I need you to stay here with the speeder." He knew he'd have to come up with a really good reason besides 'I couldn't live if anything happened to you'. 

"I may need to have a quick getaway.... if I run into any.... trouble." He watched in anticipation of her reaction. She was definitely mulling it over in her mind. "Please,' he added softly, and to his surprise, it worked. 

"Okay.... I'll stay here for now," she conceded.... for now. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

More than an hour had come and gone. After viewing her speeder's owner holo three times, Sari was becoming a bit impatient. 

"Where is he?" she said aloud. Night would be here soon, and she didn't cherish the thought of being stuck in the middle of nowhere all alone. She pushed restart on the holo once more and made a deal with herself. "If he's not back by the time this is over, you're going." 

Twenty minutes later, Obi-Wan Kenobi was not to be seen, and Sari determined her next move. Setting the lock on her speeder, she then looked to the stream descending from high above her. "There is where he went," she stated, taking a deep breath, "and there is where you'll go." With that she took off up the trail, trying to reassure herself with each step that she was not afraid. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"Yeah, we got to get another load by the weekend or Perrin'll have our tails!" 

The three men gathered around the small fire were obviously intoxicated as they continued to slur their words in between the gulps of a dark brown liquid Obi-Wan guessed to be some type of ale. He had followed the stream to this point. That's when he had heard the voices and found the men. After making his way clear around their entire campsite, he had settled into a secluded spot safe behind the corner of the small cabin in this clearing. Even though his instincts told him that the men were most likely linked to the missing children, he had decided it best to watch and listen before taking action. It wouldn't do to have to kill one of them if they could help lead him to the bigger fish because, as Qui-Gon had said many times, _'there is always a bigger fish.'_

Unfortunately, for the past forty-five minutes the men had managed to discuss every inane topic possible **except** their line of work. Obi-Wan had been ready to give them up as just some drunken hunting buddies when the largest of the men had finally mentioned a name.... Perrin. 

_'Now where have I heard that before?'_ the Jedi asked himself. 

"Hey, Deek!" yelled one of the men, a short but stocky man with an overgrown black beard and equally straggly hair. "How 'bout you get us s'more of these here brews?" 

_'Just what they need!_' thought Obi-Wan. The smallest of the trio stood and moved to go back in the cabin. With his shaggy blonde hair and slight build, he looked little more than a child to Obi-Wan, not much older than Anakin. 

All of a sudden, the hairs on the back of Obi's neck stood on end. Someone else was close by, he could feel it. Reaching out with the Force, he determined that the new arrival was not hostile, but actually quite frightened. Focusing his thoughts even more, he got a familiar sensation. 

'Oh, great!' he muttered as he pursed his lips in frustration. He quickly surveyed the area around the campsite as best he could without revealing his hiding place, and his eyes came to rest on a bush almost directly opposite him. Using his enhanced Jedi vision he was able to make out the mysterious figure. 

Obi-Wan slowly began to move, hoping the trees and fast approaching darkness would cover him until he could reach his destination. He had to take care of this intruder before he could take care of these men. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Deek had grudgingly gone to retrieve more ales for the two buffoons he had been assigned. Much to his dismay, these men did not seem to realize that they answered to him. If they had been of a lesser size, Deek would have speedily brought it to their attention, but as it was, he valued his health a bit more than his ego. 

He could hear them outside talking in their drunkenly loud voices, and he shook his head. "Idiots," he muttered. 

As he walked back out onto the porch, something caught his eye. He barely saw the movement, but he was sure someone was there. Thinking fast, he acted like nothing happened and took the drinks to his cohorts who were slapping each other on the back after one had told a horrible joke. 

"That was a great one, Lonzo!" Deek just shook his head at their ignorance. After delivering the drinks, he decided to do some investigating. 

"Hey, guys, I'm going to go on in to bed. I'm pretty tired." The two just waved him off as they continued their in-depth discussion of the finer aspects of female slime wrestling. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sari had walked for what seemed like hours, but was probably closer to twenty minutes, and the whole way she had been struggling to keep her nice outfit from being ruined. If she had thought before she acted, she would have changed before insisting she come along. Now, here she was, dress torn from being snagged on evil bushes, hair a mess from the increasing winds and the accompanying drizzle that had begun moments before, and, even though she could not see it, she was sure her face was smudged by the branches that had been blown into her face as she walked. 

_"What are you doing?"_ she asked herself as she looked on at the sight in front of her. The drunken men were rambling on about female slime wrestling, a degrading sport in her mind, and she knew it would not be a good idea to let them know she was here. In their state, the arrival of a lone woman might cause a bit of chaos. The third man had gone into bed and now only the two louts remained. She didn't see any sign of Obi-Wan Kenobi anywhere and continued to chide herself for leaving the speeder in the first place. 

She finally decided that she may as well head back to the speeder. He was bound to show up sooner or later, and the sooner she returned, the sooner she could get back to her warm, dry home. Checking to make sure the men weren't looking her way, she began to turn around, and just as she did, a large hand clamped down over her mouth and drug her to the ground. 


	4. Chapter 4

Following Your Heart-- Chapter 4 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

The sudden shock of terror that had gripped Sari's heart calmed when she dared open her eyes again. The attacker had pulled her to the ground behind a tree, and she had feared the worst. However, upon hearing a simple, "It's me," she knew she was safe. 

When Obi-Wan was certain she would not scream, he let her go and helped her to stand. At first he was angry that she had shown up, but he tried to calm his own temper as he took in her disheveled form. He had to get her to safety before he did anything else. 

"What are you doing here?! I told you to wait at the speeder," he exclaimed, taking a step forward and backing her into a tree, his blue eyes boring into hers. Taking a few seconds to push the wet hair out of her face, she tried to catch her breath. 

"I **did** stay with the speeder," she stated matter-of-factly, "for over an hour!" She was not about to let him know that she had never been so happy to see anyone in her entire life. She inadvertently looked down at the ground as she continued. "I got a little worried about you, that's all." 

Obi-Wan's resolve melted away as he looked into her big blue eyes. Never before had he been affected by someone like this. It wasn't logical or practical, but he felt strongly connected to this woman and was beside himself wondering what to do about it. 

Sari was getting nervous. He was just staring at her. She didn't know if he was going to kill her or .... _what exactly was that look in his eyes?_ Nervously, she reached up and pushed a wet strand of hair out of his eye. "This.... was in.... your way....hope you don't..... mind...." _Was that really her blabbering on like an idiot?_

__

__Suddenly, he reached up and grabbed her hand. Then he closed his eyes and took a deep breath as if trying to regain control. Letting go of her hand, he spoke in a whisper. "You could have been hurt, Sari. You shouldn't have come." He turned away from her, and she felt guilty for coming because she knew he was right. 

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ruin things. Did you find what you were looking for?" He turned back around and came close to her once again. Even soaking wet with her hair and clothes sticking to her body, Obi-Wan's senses were on overload. He had to remember what he was here for... missing children--- NOT a beautifully voluptuous woman with a mouth that begged to be kissed. 

_'Stop it!'_ he yelled silently at himself. "I think these men are part of the kidnapping group," he told her trying to refocus by looking at the top of her head instead of... elsewhere. "I need you to stay here while I go back around the cabin. Will you do that for me?... please?" 

"Anything you want," she replied gazing into those eyes again, and she meant it. Strange as it might sound, she was certain that she would probably do just about anything for this Jedi. 

He looked a little startled by her response, but quickly regained his composure before he walked away. She watched until the darkness engulfed him, then leaned back against the tree and heaved a big sigh. She was being absolutely ridiculous about this man, following him up into the mountains in the dark--- and on a school night, too! 

"Put your hands up!" came the voice. Sari froze in terror. "I said put your hands up!" Sari swallowed hard and then slowly raised her hands as she turned around to face the voice. 

"Not a sound or I shoot." Sari was surprised to find she was face to face with the young blonde man named Deek and even more disturbing was the shiny blaster he held pointed at her. The confused look on her face brought a smile to his. 

"You thought I was in bed, didn't you?" he stated proudly. "Well, I have a few tricks up my sleeve." Sari nervously glanced over her shoulder. "Worried about your friend? Lonzo and Korey will take care of him. Now, we're going to go over to the fire and get to know each other a little better. I want to know what you're doing here all alone in the dark on such a rainy night, so get moving." He motioned with his blaster for her to start walking, and she willingly obliged. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Obi-Wan had just made it back to his hiding place when a voice yelled out and made him stop dead in his tracks. 

"Hey, boys! Look what I found!" Obi looked toward the fire and watched in horror as the young man came into the light dragging with him a terrified Sari Zendar. The Jedi's hand moved instantly to his light saber, and he could feel the rage coursing through his blood. No... he would wait and not move too hastily. He had to think this through. 

"Well, well, well," said Lonzo as he tried to stand without toppling over. Deek let go of Sari's arm, but stayed close by with his blaster still aimed at her. The larger man stumbled over to the captive and put his face within inches of hers, so close, in fact, that she could smell the nauseating scent of cheap liquor on his breath, and her stomach turned. He ran his finger up her neck and under her chin, and she jerked her head away from his touch. 

"Aren't you a feisty one!" Then he was joined by his drunken cohort in a loud laugh. Sari tried desperately to hide her terror and her tears, all the time wondering where Obi-Wan Kenobi could possibly be. The look in these men's eyes was not to be mistaken. 

The third man, Korey, had moved to where Sari stood and circled her as if sizing up a new acquisition. "Well, now, looks like we're going to have us a real party tonight, boys, and I want to be the first to welcome our guest." Korey grabbed Sari by the back of her head and covered her mouth in a rough unwelcome kiss. Instinctively, Sari quickly brought her knee up into the man's groin and sent him tumbling to the ground in a heap. 

"Don't touch me," she stated flatly, her chin thrust high into the air. Deek watched on in surprise as the man slowly got back up and faced the woman again. Seconds passed like hours until Korey's face twisted into a snarl, and he swiftly backhanded Sari across her face. 

Before she even hit the ground, Obi-Wan Kenobi had catapulted from his hiding place, light saber ignited. He landed crouched on his feet right in front of the small group, and Sari noticed a look of thinly controlled power blazing in the Jedi's eyes. The two drunken men had pulled their blasters out as quickly as their intoxicated hands would function. 

"What's this? Is this your boyfriend come to rescue you?" Lonzo yelled back to Sari. 

Korey got off a few shots with his weapon, but Obi-Wan easily deflected them all with his saber. He slowly began to walk closer to Sari who was still sitting on the ground holding the side of her face. Lonzo then gave it a try with the same results. 

The two men looked at one another and nodded in affirmation of some unspoken plan. Obi-Wan was now standing protectively in front of Sari though he still faced the twosome. They suddenly ran toward him, blasters blaring, and Obi-Wan had to use some fancy footwork to out maneuver and keep them away from Sari. Unfortunately, he was so focused on those two, that he had forgotten all about the third man. 

Deek had watched on, frozen in shock, unable to move. He had never experienced this before.... a Jedi, for he was certain that was what this man was. The laser sword and lightning fast moves were dead giveaways. As he watched the scene unfold, he knew he had to do something in order to get out of this alive. Raising his blaster, he aimed at the fight in front of him and fired. 

A searing pain shot through Obi-Wan's side, and he turned to see the fleeting form of the young boy escaping into the darkness. Sari's scream brought Obi back just in time to defend against another barrage of blaster bolts from Lonzo and Korey. The two were not giving up, rather they were becoming more aggressive than ever, the alcohol lessening their inhibitions. 

Obi-Wan didn't want to have to kill them, so he quickly thought of another solution. Summoning up enough Force strength, he stuck out his free hand and slammed Korey all the way across the clearing and into a very large, very hard tree trunk. The man's body went limp instantly and slid unconscious to the ground. Lonzo had stopped to watch his partner's defeat and never even saw Obi-Wan's foot headed toward his stomach. He went flying off and landed with a loud thud on the ground. The thud turned out to be his head making the acquaintance of a rather large rock, and Lonzo, too, was out cold. 

Obi-Wan stood still for a few seconds after he turned off his light saber and hooked it back to his belt. Sari, still sitting on the ground, was in awe of all that had just taken place within the last minutes. After a few deep breaths, Obi-Wan came down from his Jedi 'high' and realized that he had been shot. Wincing in pain, he grabbed his side and found his hand covered in his own blood. Sari jumped up and ran to his side. 

"You're hurt!" she said putting her arm around him. 

"No... no, I'm okay," Obi-Wan tried to convince her. "What about you? Are you okay?" His attention turned to her, and his own pain was put aside. He gently used his thumb to wipe away a trickle of blood coming from her nose. "You shouldn't have come," he said softly shaking his head. "Now you're hurt. I've got to get you home." 

Sari was touched by his concern for her and the tenderness of his touch on her face. 

Then a small pained expression in his eyes reminded her of his injury. 

"No, **_you_** are the one that is hurt. We've got to see about your wound." 

"I'll be okay. I just need to meditate for a while and then---" 

"Yeah, right!" she interrupted sarcastically. "You're going to need more than meditation, mister. Let's get you back to the speeder." 

With arms around one another, the twosome headed back to the stream and followed the path back to their lonely speeder. The light rain continued and slowed them down a bit, but their determination kept them moving, and within twenty minutes they were on their way back into town. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

On the way back into town, Obi-Wan had slipped into a meditative state so as to take his focus away from the blaster wound. Sari drove as fast as she dared and finally pulled the speeder up in front of her apartment building. Gently nudging the Jedi's shoulder, she urged him out of his trance. 

"We're here," she said softly as he opened his eyes and took in the surroundings. 

"Where?" was all he could muster. 

"We're back at my apartment. Now let's get you inside and see about that wound." She got out of the speeder and came around to help him out. He was slightly disoriented at first and his brow wrinkled as he tried to put it all together. 

"You can just take me back to my hotel. I'll be all right after a little more rest." 

Sari rolled her eyes and chuckled. "Yeah, right. Get out of the car, please." Obi-Wan managed a small grin at her reaction. She was a mess, but a beautiful mess at that. 

Upon entering Sari's apartment, Obi-Wan felt instantly at home. It was so warm and inviting with holos of what he assumed were family members scattered all over the place. It was a stark contrast to his sparse and sterile accommodations back in the temple. A small pang of envy entered his heart as he thought about the family he would never know. He had sacrificed much to become a Jedi. A so-called normal life would probably never be his. 

Sari motioned for him to have a seat on her plush sofa while she retreated to the back of the apartment in search of antiseptic and bandages. 

"You need to take off that wet shirt so I can see about your side," she yelled from another room. Obi-Wan chuckled. As a teacher she was used to taking control and giving directions. It was a bit strange for him to be the one being taken care of since it was almost always the other way around. He obeyed her _'orders'_ and took off his wet tunic just as she reentered with an armful of supplies. 

Sari's heart shot up into her throat. There he was sitting wet and shirtless on her sofa. The muscles in his chest and arms were taut and well-defined, and she tried desperately not to stare. Her gaze wandered down and she let out a small yelp as she plopped down next to him on the couch. 

"Oh my gosh! That looks awful! Here....let me have a look.." Obi-Wan was startled by her response, then realized that she was talking about his wound. She immediately began dabbing the injury with some cloth being careful not to cause anymore pain to her patient. 

"It's not that bad, really," he said as he watched her work. She was so gentle... so caring in every move. 

"I'll be the judge of that," she replied lifting her head to offer a smile. After a few more seconds, she had finished cleaning and bandaging his side and sat up triumphantly. 

"There! All done. And it wasn't as bad as it looked. The shot just grazed your side and didn't really go clean through. You should still see a doctor though." 

Obi-Wan smiled. "I think you've done better than any doctor could do. Why, the Jedi healers would have a run for their money with you around." 

"Oh, please! You're too kind, my dear Obi-Wan Kenobi," she teased back. 

Obi-Wan gazed deep into Sari's eyes. _What was happening here?,_ he wondered. 

He gently brought his hand up and touched the side of her face causing her to take in a deep breath and close her eyes. 

"Your face.... is a bit swollen. Does it hurt?" he asked softly, keeping his hand on her cheek. His touch was electrifying. She opened her eyes, swallowed hard, and shook her head. Obi-Wan scooted a little closer and lowered his face near hers. 

"I'm sorry I let this happen to you. I should have acted sooner." His mouth was now just inches away from hers and she wondered if he could hear her heart pounding. Their breathing became more rapid as their eyes remained locked. 

"No," Sari muttered breathlessly, "I should have stayed with the speeder.... like you said..." Obi-Wan now moved his gaze down to her mouth and tried to fight the urge to cover her lips with his. _'A Jedi craves not..._' began to play in his mind but was quickly replaced by **_'let yourself go!'_**, one of the last things Anakin had said to him before he left. 

"It's really all my fault.." Sari continued softly, but before she could finish, Obi-Wan had taken his padawan's advice and let himself go, pressing his lips firmly but tenderly to Sari's. She willingly responded bringing one hand up to run through the back of his hair and the other to rest on his bare chest. Obi-Wan brought one of his hands around her waist and began to pull her closer as they continued to lavish short passionate kisses on one another. He could feel his blood rushing through his veins and his temperature rise with every touch of her lips and fingers. 

_Bzzzzzzz! Bzzzzzzzzz!_

"What.... what was that?" he asked in between her warm kisses. She seemed oblivious to the sound and just kept pressing her hungry lips to his. He quickly resumed his previous activity without another thought. 

_Bzzzzzzz! Bzzzzzzzzz!_

This time Sari heard it, too, and grudgingly stopped all actions, letting her hands drop into her lap. "It's my doorbell!" she declared. Suddenly realizing what had just been happening, she nervously avoided Obi-Wan's gaze and jumped up from the sofa straightening out her disheveled hair as she walked toward the door. Obi-Wan was also suddenly very self-conscious and stood up wondering what to do next. 

"I think I'm just going to use your refresher, if you don't mind," he announced as he took off down the hall. 

"Sure," she replied, her heart beating faster than ever. _What had just happened?!,_ she screamed inside. '_Were you really just kissing him?!_' She tried to calm herself as the door buzzed one more time. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"Jaik? What are you doing here?" Sari asked in surprise. Jaik thought he noticed a hint of annoyance in her eyes and felt his confidence waiver just a little. 

"Hello.... I'm fine.... yes, I'd love to come in, thank you," he replied as he smoothly wormed his way inside. Sari simply stood staring at him not knowing whether to laugh at his slick entry or throw him out for his presumptuous behavior. 

Studying her disarrayed appearance, he had to comment. "Whoa! What happened to you?" One of Sari's eyebrows raised as she started to give him a piece of her mind, but he spoke again before she could. "You know, I tried to find you after school, but you were gone early. Then I tried to call several times but got no answer." He stepped closer and took her chin in his hand. "I was starting to get worried about you." He flashed her his infamous Rafe grin expecting her to melt like butter at any moment. Needless to say, he was quite shocked when she carefully removed his hand from her face and took a few steps back. 

"I'm just fine, thank you. I just got caught in the rain is all." Jaik couldn't understand why his charms weren't working their usual magic, but decided not to give up. 

"What's wrong, Sari? Just last night we were going to go have a nice romantic dinner for two, and now...." 

"Now what?" she spat back with her arms crossed. 

"Well, now, it's like you can't stand the sight of me or something, ever since..." 

"Yes?" she said impatiently. 

"Ever since that Nekobi guy showed up." 

"Kenobi," she corrected. "His name is Obi-Wan Kenobi." 

"Nekobi, Kenobi, whatever. I really don't trust the guy, Jedi or not. His type, they flaunt their light sword and all the chicks come crawling. He probably has a mistress on every planet. You know, I was surprised at you today." 

. 

"What are you talking about?" she asked, still trying to digest the 'mistress on every planet' comment. 

"I saw him in your classroom showing off his sword. Knowing your stance on violence, I was surprised you allowed it." 

Sari lowered her eyes in thought. It did somewhat contradict her usual position to allow a weapon in the room with her students, but he was a Jedi. That was different... right? 

Jaik could see her wavering and figured he was home-free. "Hey, why don't you let me make you some warm coffee or tea while you go change out of those wet clothes into something more comfortable. Hmm?" He had his hands on her shoulders and an arrogant smirk on his face. Sari was certain on a lesser woman that this lame come-on would surely work, but not this time. Not her. 

'I think you should leave, Jaik." 

"What?" he said, again surprised. 

"I just want to go to bed... alone. It's been a very long day and I need some rest. No coffee. No tea. Just me and my bed." As she was speaking, she had herded him to the door. "So, good night, and I'll see you in school tomorrow." With that, she pushed him into the hallway and shut her door. Jaik stared at the door dumbfounded, and when the lock clicked he felt as if he'd just been smacked in the face--- for the very first time. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Obi-Wan had tried not to eavesdrop, but, with his finely honed Jedi hearing, he just couldn't help himself, especially when he realized who the visitor was. When the man had messed up Obi's name, the Jedi had just chuckled and shook his head. However, when Jaik had suggested that Obi-Wan was not to be trusted and had a lover on every known world, the Jedi was ready to storm out of the refresher and start the lout on the long and painful road to _'enlightenment'_. 

Sari's words had kept him in place. She handled the man with more finesse than a Nubian princess. Obi-Wan had to put his hand over his mouth to keep from laughing out loud. She was amazing. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"What am I doing?" Sari asked herself out loud as she stood motionless staring at the door she had just pushed Jaik out of. The events of the past few days had plunged her mind and heart into utter chaos. First, some of the school children had gone missing. Next, the Jedi knight showed up, and she ended up almost being attacked by kidnappers in the middle of the mountains only to have said Jedi rescue her. Then he ended up shirtless in her apartment, on her couch, attached to her lips only to be interrupted by the man she thought she was interested in only days ago. 

_"This is too much for me to process right now."_ Sari began nervously straightening her front room. Cleaning somehow always helped to ease her stress and keep her from going over the edge. As she moved toward the couch, Obi-Wan Kenobi's bloody tunic caught her eye. 

_'He's still here!'_ she silently reminded herself as she picked up the garment giving it the once over. Sari inadvertently licked her lips as the memory of their heated kiss lingered heavily all around. Her body tingled at the mere thought of him and how he had made her feel. But then, like a hard smack on the face, Jaik's words about the Jedi from only minutes before repeated in her mind. 

Did Obi-Wan really have women on other planets? He seemed so sincere, but.... why should she expect to be the only woman that a handsome, charming defender of the galaxy would be interested in? 

_'I'm certainly nothing special.... no princess or anything like that,'_ she thought. The sound of the refresher door jolted her out of her inner discussion. Despite the cleaning, the anxiety returned instantly as soon as she heard his sultry, accented voice. 

"Is everything all right?" Obi-Wan asked as he walked into the room. Sari could tell he had cleaned himself up a bit, and he noticed her looking at him. "I hope you don't mind that I cleaned off a little. I hung my towel up," he said waiting for a response. 

"That's... that's fine..... I'm fine. That was Jaik at the door," she said pointing back towards the entry way. "He was worried about me and just wanted to make sure I was okay." 

"He didn't stay?" Obi asked, already knowing the answer. 

Sari got a strange look on her face, and Obi suddenly wished he had remained silent. 

"Um... he had to.... go." A few moments of awkward silence hung between them since neither knew what to say. Obi-Wan took her silence to mean that the kiss should be forgotten and tried to come up with a reason to change the subject. 

"Could I use your holoprojector? I need to report in to the Jedi Council about tonight's events....... up in the mountains with the men, I mean," he said as he shyly looked away. He felt like such a school boy around her, especially now that it was so apparent that she regretted their kiss. 

"Of course," Sari replied avoiding his eyes at all costs as she led him back to her room. "It's right in here. I'm just going to get cleaned up myself, so take your time." She hurried out of the room and into the refresher, relieved to be out of his presence. 

Obi-Wan sat down at Sari's desk and turned on the holoprojector. After dialing, he sat back and waited for an answer. Soon enough, a familiar face came into focus. 

"Obi-Wan? Do you have any idea what time it is?" A half-asleep Anakin Skywalker rubbed his eyes and then ran a hand through his tousled blond hair. 

"Sorry, Anakin, but this is important," Obi-Wan responded. "I need you to do me a favor." 

"Hello. So nice to see you, and how are you?" Obi rolled his eyes at his padawan's sarcasm. 

"Yes, hello and all that. Things are getting very interesting here. I just had a run-in tonight with some men related to these disappearing children. Now, they mentioned a name--- Perrin. I want you to ------" 

"Excuse me," came a feminine voice. Anakin peered behind Obi-Wan to see where the voice came from. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped when a beautiful woman in a towel tiptoed across his field of view. "I just forgot to get my robe. Sorry!" Then she was gone. 

Obi-Wan's face was frozen in terror. 

"Who was**_ that_**?" Anakin asked as a smile began to spread across his face. He noticed his master begin to squirm uneasily trying to formulate an answer. 

"Who was who?" Obi-Wan lamely attempted. 

"Um... the half-naked woman that just came in and out of the room you're in. Looks like things **_are_** getting interesting there, master." 

"Oh, her. That is Sari Zendar... she...uh... teaches at the school and has been... helping me in my... investigation." By the look on Anakin's face, Obi-Wan knew he wasn't getting off that easily. Anakin erupted into laughter. He was wide awake now. 

"Woo-hoo!" the teenager exclaimed causing his master to redden even more. "You devil, you! Here you had me thinking that you weren't even interested in the fairer sex, and the minute you're out of my sight you find a beautiful female to spend your time with." Anakin leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head. "I'm impressed!" 

"Anakin, please!" Obi-Wan pleaded. "It's not what you think." 

"No, don't ruin it for me. Let me dream," the padawan responded. 

"Look, we don't have time for me to explain everything to you, but don't get carried away. I need you to find out all you can about a man named Perrin. He's got to be one of the main players in this kidnapping game, so I need the information as soon as possible." 

"Sure... okay." 

"You can tell the council that I contacted you and that I should know more in a couple of days. I think someone at the school is involved also, but I'm not sure who it is yet. I need you to help me out, Anakin." 

"You can count on me, Obi-Wan," Anakin assured his master. Obi-Wan started to move towards the power button when Anakin offered one last line. "Hey! May the Force be with you..... and the teacher!" And with a smug wink, Anakin was first to end the transmission. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sari took a very long hot shower in hopes of avoiding Obi-Wan anymore for the night. Her mind was spinning, and she didn't want to be forced to make some polite small talk, so she spent as much time as she could in the refresher. Finally, she took a deep breath and ventured back into her room. Luckily, he was gone. She had offered him her spare bedroom earlier and assumed that's where he was. Climbing into bed, she turned off her light and snuggled under the covers wanting desperately to just go to sleep. 

Obi-Wan heard her come out of the refresher and go to bed. He couldn't sleep, so he had been trying to meditate. It was difficult, he found, to calm his mind enough to focus on just one thing at a time. The children were his main priority, and he knew that. They were his duty, and he always fulfilled his duties. However, thoughts of Sari kept interrupting, and when she opened the refresher door and he could smell the clean scent of her, he simply gave up trying to meditate all together. 

_'You're acting childish, Obi-Wan!'_ he scolded himself. _'You were too presumptuous and_ _bold, and now she thinks you're a fool. This would have never happened on_ _Coruscant_. _Now Anakin thinks.... who knows what!' _The Jedi laid back down and made another attempt to get some sleep despite the circus playing in his mind. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	5. Chapter 5

Following Your Heart-- Chapter 5 

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Morning brought a refreshed outlook to Obi-Wan. He had finally gotten to sleep and rose before sunrise, as usual, to meditate. During this much more focused session, an idea dawned on the Jedi that would hopefully solve the mystery of the missing children. He couldn't wait to share it with Sari even though he was unsure of how she would react. 

Sari's alarm went off and jolted her out of a sound slumber. She sleepily sat up trying to remember what she had been dreaming because she knew for sure that she had dreamed all night long. As was her habit, she stumbled to her closet to find something to wear to school and quickly got dressed. Then she shuffled to the refresher to finish getting ready. The memory of the night before had not yet emerged until she suddenly heard someone moving around in her kitchen. She froze in place and her heart dropped. She had forgotten Obi-Wan was still there. 

"Oh, no," she groaned before opening the door. With great trepidation she made her way to the front of the apartment. The smell of breakfast cooking perked her senses as did the sight of a wide awake, smiling Obi-Wan Kenobi. 

"Good morning!" he announced with a twinkle in his blue eyes. "I was beginning to wonder about you. I hope you don't mind, but I've made breakfast. It's not very often that I get to have real fresh food." 

With a bewildered look on her face, Sari entered the kitchen and had a seat at the table. The Jedi sat a plate of something delicious in front of her, and she hesitantly began to eat. 

"This is pretty good," she admitted continuing to eat. "I didn't realize how hungry I was." 

"I'm glad you like it," Obi-Wan said. "Sari?" She looked up from her meal to meet his deep soulful eyes across the table from her. "I want to thank you for all you've done for me while I've been here. You've been so kind to tend to my injury and allow me to stay here. I hope I've not been too much of an inconvenience to you." 

Sari had to snap herself out of it. It was a mixture of his smooth sexy voice, mesmerizing eyes, and quiet sensuality that kept drawing her right back under his spell. She was sure it had to be his manipulation of the power he called the Force that was causing her to feel this way. Jaik's words about other women crept back once again. Looking at the man sitting there, she was sure he had to have women all over the galaxy longing for his return. How could he not? 

"It's been no trouble at all," she blurted out. "Well, except for last night..." she quickly added. Obi-Wan suddenly looked away, a slight blush showing on his cheeks. 

"Oh, right. Sorry about that. I was too... bold, and I apologize." 

"You apologize for rescuing me?" she asked. Realization slowly dawned on Obi-Wan. She was talking about the incident in the mountains--- not the one on her couch. 

"Oh!--- of course not. I was... I was referring to.... to something else." Now he really felt like a fool. Suddenly, Sari jumped up from her chair. 

"What time is it?!" she declared. 

"Huh?" Obi muttered. 

"I've got to get to school! I'll drop you at your hotel first, though, but can you get a ride back to the school later?" 

"Yeah, sure," he answered. He was relieved the subject was changed, yet disappointed that he didn't get to share his plan. Instead, he readied himself to leave. 

"My padawan may send some information here for me later today. Would you be sure to save it for me?" he asked. 

"Of course," she replied as she closed the door behind them. _'Whew!'_ she said to herself. _'I'm glad that worked! I wouldn't have known what to say to him._' 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

The day was going rather smoothly for Sari despite the frequent thoughts of Obi-Wan and his kiss, always quickly followed by the memory of Jaik's words that stole her joy every time. She wanted so much to believe that there could possibly be something between herself and the Jedi, but the seeds of doubt had been sown, and try as she might, she couldn't get past the thought of Obi-Wan in the arms of another woman. He probably laughed about his conquests from planet to planet.... 

but that kiss...... 

"Miss Zendar?" came the voice on the intercom. It was Chairman Calder. 

"Yes, sir?" she replied from her now empty room. The children were gone to art class. 

"Would you please come to the office?" the man asked. 

"Sure," she answered. It wasn't very often that he called on the intercom, so Sari was sure that it must be important. 

She was surprised to find Obi-Wan, Jaik, and a few others in the chairman's office when she arrived. The Jedi was dressed in a clean black outfit and stood at the head of the room as a quiet but powerful presence. Jaik flashed one of his winning smiles when she entered and politely offered his seat to her. 

"Thank you," she replied casting a quick glance at Obi-Wan. He shifted uneasily and his brow wrinkled as he frowned and looked away. 

"Anything for you, my dear," Jaik whispered into her ear. Of course, Obi-Wan heard the remark even if no one else did, and his lip curled into an imperceptible snarl. He didn't trust the man anymore than he'd trust a Bothan politician. Why was he feeling so possessive of this woman? Did one kiss mean that she'd pledged her life to him? No, of course not... but he couldn't help feeling a tad bit jealous for some reason. 

Chairman Calder began to speak once everyone was situated. 

"I've called you all here because of the recent kidnappings of some of our students. As you all know, Jedi Kenobi was sent here to investigate the matter and last night discovered the location of some of the perpetrators." 

Sari shifted nervously in her seat. Would Obi-Wan reveal that she had been with him? That might be a little embarrassing in front of all of these people. The chairman continued. 

"He has come to me with a plan for solving this crime. I believe it could prove successful, so since it will involve some of you, I thought you should hear it straight from him. Jedi Kenobi...." 

Obi-Wan moved to the center of the room and explained his plan. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"Are you insane?!" Sari yelled as she sprang from her chair and quickly covered the distance between herself and the Jedi. She could tell from the surprised look on his face that he was caught off guard by her reaction despite his attempts to appear unaffected. She glared into those piercing eyes and refused to back down. 

"You want my students to play the bait in your little trap?! Surely you can't be serious, Jedi Kenobi." She hoped he noticed her use of his formal title. "They're just children, and I refuse to purposely put them in danger's way.... No.... I won't allow it." With that she crossed her arms to emphasize her resolve on the matter and thrust her chin defiantly into the air. 

That was that, she thought, quite proud of her boldness. Everyone was silent for a moment as their eyes went back and forth from Sari to the Jedi waiting to see who would speak first. Obi-Wan frowned as he studied the young woman in front of him. In the short time he had spent with Sari, he had realized how devoted she was to her students, much like himself. However, he hadn't expected such heated opposition from her. 

"Now just wait a minute, Sari," a voice spoke, but it wasn't Obi-Wan. It was Jaik. He moved in between the two and attempted to calm the situation. "I know that you're concerned about the kids, but Kenobi's plan may be our only hope of ending these abductions. He's got it all figured out. He does this kind of thing all the time. I think we should trust him." 

Both Sari and Obi-Wan were now looking at Jaik like he was some alien life form never before seen by man. 

"YOU want me to trust HIM?!" Sari asked trying to straighten it all out in her mind. Jaik was the last person she expected to defend the Jedi. Obi-Wan was just as shocked. 

"I agree, Miss Zendar," Chairman Calder interjected. "I believe it may be the only way, and despite your opposition, I'm afraid I'm going to cooperate with Jedi Kenobi's plan. You can help... or not. The choice is yours." 

Everyone was uncomfortably silent again as Sari pondered her options. If her students were going to be involved, then she had no choice. 

"All right... I'll cooperate--- but I still don't like it." If looks could kill, then the one she shot Obi-Wan would have knocked him over instantly. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sari was so angry that she couldn't see straight. How could Obi-Wan even suggest such a thing? And how could the others go along with such a crazy plan? She somehow forced herself through the rest of the school day praying that she wouldn't run into the Jedi. She didn't trust herself not to belt him in the mouth. 

Jaik was right. That's what she kept thinking. He was right yesterday when he said he didn't trust Obi-Wan. She had trusted him until he came up with the idea to lure the kidnappers by using her students. She just had a bad feeling about the whole situation. Something wasn't quite right. 

She made it out of the school without seeing Obi-Wan again. She didn't know if he was even still in the building, and right then, she didn't even care. All she kept thinking about was the danger the children could be in as soon as tomorrow. 

Once inside her apartment, she walked back to her room to change into something more comfortable. She wasn't going anywhere tonight except to bed. No jaunt to the mountains or even downstairs.... just bed. As she dressed, her holoprojector beeped alerting her to an incoming call. Sitting down at her desk, she turned it on and was surprised to see a handsome young man with a head of tousled blond hair and big blue eyes. 

"Hello?" she said, sure that he must be Obi-Wan's padawan. 

"Oh, hello," he replied with a nice smile. "I'm Anakin Skywalker. I'm trying to contact Obi-Wan Kenobi." 

"Hello, Anakin. I'm Sari Zendar, a teacher at the ---" 

"Yeah, I know. Obi-Wan told me about you," he said with a grin. "And I saw you briefly last night." 

Sari felt her face heat up at the memory. "Oh..." she muttered. "Anyway, he's not here. He's back at his hotel, if I had to guess. We haven't spoken since earlier today." 

Anakin could sense that all was not well. He had been able to tell from speaking to Obi-Wan the night before that something was happening between his master and this woman. The way his face had turned bright red when she had entered the room... it was something all right! The young man instantly liked this woman and couldn't believe that his master had messed things up already. Well, Anakin thought to himself, he would just have to fix them. 

"Do you think you could deliver some information to him for me? I'm sending some printouts to your computer, and they're very urgent." 

"Well...," she was thinking it over, he could tell. "I'll probably see him tomorrow..." 

"No, he really needs to get this stuff right away. It's for his investigation." She was a tough nut to crack, but he was not giving up that easily. 

"Oh, all right," she finally conceded. Anakin gave a silent cheer at his accomplishment. He had given Obi-Wan another chance, and hopefully the man would use it to his advantage. She was very pretty and seemed quite likable. 

"It'll take a few moments to complete the transmission, so just hang on," Anakin said. "You know, I think he really likes you." 

"What?" Sari asked, suddenly very interested in what the boy had to say. 

"Obi-Wan is not one to get close to many people. He pretty much stays to himself and focuses on his work... all the time! But I could just tell that he seems to genuinely like you." Anakin was watching Sari's face trying to gauge her reaction. When she finally grinned, he felt victorious. Maybe there was hope for his lonely master after all. 

Sari felt herself blush a little. Was this boy right? Did Obi-Wan truly like her company and hers alone? The possibilities made her heart flutter. 

"Okay, Anakin Skywalker. You've won. I'll see that he gets this information tonight." Sari smiled as she said good-bye and switched off the holoprojector. So much for staying in. Pulling out a clean outfit from her closet, she quickly dressed and took off to find the Jedi knight. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Obi-Wan Kenobi was not used to dealing with a woman's scorn. It was quite an intimidating thing. Sari's reaction to his idea earlier that day had been very unexpected, but now in hindsight, he should have known she would fight to keep her students safe, like any good teacher. 

However, one thing he had learned as a Jedi was to give people space and time to cool down, so he hadn't tried to speak to her anymore that day. He had even avoided her hallway in the school so as not to risk receiving anymore of those killer glares. She had quite a temper along with all of that sweetness, and he was confused and intrigued all at the same time. 

After interviewing a few of the school staff, he had left to set things up for the next day. He wanted to make sure everything was just right, so that none of Sari's fears would prove founded. The children's safety was important to him, as well. It was his job... his duty to keep them safe. 

After a hectic day, the Jedi made his way back to his hotel room. He snickered as he realized he hadn't spent much time there, and blushed when he thought about where he'd rather be. For the first time since his childhood friendship with the Mon Calamari girl, Bant, he found that he truly enjoyed the companionship of a female. Only this time he was an adult, and he found himself thinking of Sari in a slightly more 'adult' kind of way. He licked his bottom lip and remembered kissing her the night before. She had stirred feelings within him that he didn't even know he was capable of having. 

He had just thrown his cape over a chair when there was a knock on his door. Opening it, he was shocked, and pleased, to see Sari standing on the other side. 

"Hi," she said sheepishly. 

"Hello," Obi-Wan responded, a bit confused by her appearance at his room. 

Sari pulled a small disk out of her jacket pocket and held it up. "I have some information for you. Your padawan sent it to my computer." 

"Oh... please come in," Obi said as he moved aside to let her enter. She took in the surroundings and then faced him. 

"Wow... this is nice," she said. 

"Yes...... it is," he replied nodding his head. The tension was being poorly covered by inane small talk, something neither was very good at. Obi shifted uneasily from foot to foot. 

"Here's your disk," she finally said, shoving it into his hands. 

"Oh... right." He took it and headed over to the data pad sitting on the desk. "Let's just see what young Anakin found for me." He sat down in front of the screen, and Sari moved to stand behind him. She was grateful for the distraction the disk created. Obi-Wan pulled up several documents from the disk and skimmed over each of them looking for what he was certain he would find. 

"A-ha! I was right!" he exclaimed as he pounded the desk and looked at Sari whose face was now right beside his. Her skin looked so unbelievably soft that it took his breath away. 

"Right about what?" she asked. 

"I...," he almost couldn't speak. His throat was tightening by the second. Finally, he regained his Jedi composure and continued. "I thought that I had heard that name before... the one the men mentioned.... Perrin. Turns out he has been linked to several slave operations. He's a big time courier. He hires mercenaries to collect the slaves, then delivers them to the slavers, making a mighty large profit in the process. He makes a show of being legitimate to the authorities, but he's dirty... plain and simple. He's got to be behind all this. I just have that feeling." 

Sari chuckled at the excited look on his face, just like a little boy. Suddenly, she felt awful about how she had treated him at school and about being so quick to think ill of him. He certainly seemed honest and sincere. 

"I'm sorry," she blurted out. He looked at her with bewilderment, as if to say, _"What?"._

"I'm sorry about how I acted today. I shouldn't have gone off like that... especially in front of a room full of people. It wasn't professional--- or the least bit kind." 

Obi-Wan gently took her hand in his. "No, don't worry about it. I know you're just concerned about your students, but believe me... I am not going to let anything happen to them. I promise." His other hand moved to tenderly touch her cheek, and she willingly nestled into his warm palm. 

He slowly stood up without moving his hand away from her face. Her heart and breathing sped up, and she couldn't take her eyes off of his. With his other hand, he brought hers to his lips and placed a soft kiss on her palm and then her wrist. A slight whimper escaped her lips as his touch brought all of her nerves to life. 

He let her hand go and placed his free hand on the other side of her face. She was forced to look only at him. His eyes hungrily studied her whole face, and she melted under his gaze. Obi-Wan had a million things he wanted to say to her running through his mind. 

_//What is this woman doing to me?//_ he thought. _//I am a Jedi. I'm not supposed to let myself be distracted from my duties, yet all I've done since I first saw her is think about her... dream about her... long to hear her voice and see her smile.//_

__

__Part of him wanted to spurt out all of the feelings he was experiencing, but his lips wouldn't allow it. He had kept himself isolated for so long that the thought of revealing himself to anyone terrified him. 

Slowly, he dropped his hands from Sari's face and looked away. She was totally confused. Her body had been prepared for whatever he would offer, and now he was stepping away. She could feel herself redden with embarrassment, and the silence hung heavily in the room. Suddenly unable to breathe, she knew she had to get out or pass out. 

"I'm going to leave now," she began as she moved toward the door. Obi-Wan simply stood facing away from her with both hands on the back of the desk chair and nodded. 

"I need to get some rest before tomorrow. Bye." As quickly as she could, she exited the room and breathed a heavy sigh. 

_//Well, that went well,//_ she told herself while walking down the hallway. What had went wrong? It had felt so right, but then... he had stopped--- just like that. Had she totally misjudged the signals? Was she that out of practice with romance? She felt so foolish rushing to his room. This man was so frustrating. It was like he wanted her, but then again, didn't. 

On the drive home, Sari made up her mind. She was finished with Obi-Wan Kenobi. After tomorrow he'd most likely be gone anyway,..... back to glamorous Coruscant and all of his sophisticated, elegant companions. Maybe he had done her a favor by stopping. It would make it easier to forget they had ever met. Yes, she'd keep telling herself that--- despite the tears that were slowly trickling down her cheeks. 

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	6. Chapter 6

Following Your Heart-- Chapter 6 

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"Jedi are strong, yes... but they are still mortal beings. This Kenobi is not invincible. I have seen Jedi defeated before. It simply requires a bit more.... ingenuity in executing our planned venture." 

Gustaf Perrin, in all his arrogance, refused to concede his livelihood to the likes of a self-righteous Jedi. Ridding the galaxy of inferior types, aka non-humans, appealed not only to his pocket book, but also his sense of human supremacy. He would gladly continue herding these aliens onto worlds where they could contribute something to the human race, be it mining or some other menial task. He knew his main employer felt the same way and was working to make the galaxy everything a human could dream of. Some _misinformed_ humans, such as this Jedi, fooled themselves into believing in equality between species, but Perrin would never go for that. 

"My operative will contact you later to comprise a new approach." Perrin continued speaking to a figure in the hologram. "If confrontation is what this Jedi desires, then we shall not disappoint him." An evil smirk twisted Perrin's face into a frightening sight, and then he switched off the machine. He was not afraid of a single Jedi. No, this would just add some excitement to his work that had been all too monotonous as of late. 

_____________________________________________________________________ 

Obi-Wan Kenobi had wanted to be a Jedi for as long as he could remember. When he was but a child at the temple, he longed for the day he would be chosen as an apprentice. Through a long obstacle of events, he eventually ended up with Qui-Gon Jinn, one of the greatest knights in the history of the order. Then Obi-Wan only dreamed of the day he himself would become a Jedi knight. Unfortunately, that had come only at the expense of his master's life taken by a Sith lord. Next, he was suddenly thrown into the role of a master to a padawan thought to be the _'chosen one.'_ He knew he had made many mistakes with Anakin, but theirs had grown to be a special relationship over the years. Anakin was not exactly like his son, but rather a younger brother... the family he never had. 

Not having a family had never really bothered Obi-Wan because becoming the ultimate Jedi had been his main focus for so long. However, the past two days had changed all that. He found himself wondering what it would be like to settle in one place and maybe even have a family of his own. When he was with Sari, he could almost see his life taking a turn towards normalcy. She was the type of woman that he could spend forever with and never get tired of her presence. She had intelligence, wit, a heart of gold, spunk, and beauty--- inside and out. Everything a man could want---- everything **_he_** wanted. 

Yet he was holding back, keeping her at arms length. He kept telling himself it was for the best. If he hadn't pulled away from her tonight, he might never have. He had never felt so vulnerable and out of control in all his life. There was no room for a romantic entanglement. The majority of Jedi never married or even had involved relationships, and those that did usually ended up leaving the order. Being a Jedi was his life's dream.... all he had ever wanted. He was bound to his role... to his duty. His whole life revolved around it, and he had gladly played the part---- but now....... this mission was changing everything. 

He rolled over in his bed and tried once again to go to sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day. 

_____________________________________________________________________ 

Sleep had not come willingly to Obi-Wan Kenobi. Thoughts of Sari and the students invaded his dreams all night long. As he stood in the refresher looking at himself in the mirror, he almost didn't hear the knock on his door. Only half-dressed, he grabbed a tunic and headed to the front of the suite. 

"Good morning!" 

Obi-Wan furrowed his brow at the visitor. "Good morning," he responded with a hint of suspicion. "Shouldn't you be at school?" 

"Can I come in?" 

"Sure," Obi-Wan replied as he moved out of the way to let Jaik Rafe enter. He got a strange vibe from this man. Maybe it was just jealousy raring its ugly head. Jaik plopped down nonchalantly on the sofa spreading his arms along the back and offered a large, yet obviously phony, smile. 

"I've been sent as the _messenger_," Jaik began, just a little too eagerly. "There's been a change in plans. Chairman Calder realized that Kameer Park is hosting a festival today and will be packed with people. He thought it would be better to use a less populated location, so he decided on Drameen Park on the other side of town." 

"Does Sari know about this?" Obi-Wan questioned. Something wasn't quite right about this fellow's story. 

A pained look flashed almost imperceptibly on Jaik's face at the mention of her name. 

"She will, as soon as she gets to school," he stated flatly. Now he was showing his true self as all pretense was dropped. "You like Sari, don't you?" 

The question surprised the Jedi. "I... I... she seems to be a wonderful person, yes," he finally responded. 

"You know, we're kind of an item, she and I. In fact, on the night you arrived, we were scheduled to have dinner together. Did she tell you that?" Obi could sense the anger building in Jaik and actually got a little offended. This man did not own Sari. 

"Yes... yes she did tell me about your date. Although she didn't say that you two were a.... what did you call it?--- ah, yes.... an 'item'. _" What are you doing?!,"_ he asked himself. Jedi were not supposed to antagonize, they were supposed to diffuse. However, some kind of primal male urge was bringing out his competitive spirit. 

Jaik's face betrayed his attempt at civility as he stood up from the sofa and snarled at Obi-Wan. He took a deep breath and forced a polite smile. "Anyway, you'll be gone soon, and then things will be back to normal. Right now, I am supposed to escort you back to school." 

Obi-Wan remained calm and collected. This man was so full of himself that Obi-Wan almost laughed out loud. Yes, he could continue this contest of the wills, if he so desired. He could tell Jaik that just last night Sari had been right here ready to fall into his embrace. He could tell the creep that just the day before he had spent the whole night in her apartment. But he wouldn't. He would never bring himself to that level. He would rather just force punch him into the next room. 

"All right," he conceded. "Just let me get the rest of my things." The Jedi turned to go into his room when Jaik's voice caused him to stop dead in his tracks. 

"That won't be necessary." 

And as Obi spun back around, he barely had time to see the blast gun as Jaik fired straight at his chest. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sari found herself trembling a little more with each block closer to school. Even though she had great faith in Obi-Wan's plan and abilities, some little voice kept nagging at the back of her mind. Something big was going to happen today. 

Chairman Calder was waiting for her by the office door as she entered the building. 

"Please, come in, Miss Zendar." She walked into his office and waited for him to begin. He motioned for her to sit down, and she did. 

"I just wanted to go over the specifics for today. You'll take the children to Kameer Park a few miles out of town. Only the transport driver and yourself will visibly be with the children. Jedi Kenobi, along with some others will be there the whole time, out of view, in case these criminals show up, as we expect they will. You can rest assured, Miss Zendar, your students will be perfectly safe." He leaned back in his high-backed chair and grinned. 

He was a strange little man, Sari thought. He had no family of his own, so he spent all his time and energy at the school. It was almost bordering on obsessive in Sari's opinion, but the man seemed sincere, and she had no reason not to trust him. But that nagging feeling just wouldn't go away. 

"I spoke with the Jedi this morning and all is in order. He's going straight to the park to wait for you and your students." 

Sari was slightly relieved that she wouldn't have to face him this morning. After last night, she didn't know if she could look him in the eyes. Calder dismissed her, and she went to her classroom to prepare for the day. 

If there was one thing her mother had taught her it was to always be prepared for the unexpected, so she nervously double-checked the added '_accessory'_ to her outfit----- a tiny silver blaster concealed in the pocket of her jacket. Her father had insisted she have it even though she detested violence and weapons. Somehow, having it with her didn't make her feel any better about the whole situation. As the students began entering the room with excited voices, she felt the gun in her pocket one more time hoping she would not have to use it. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Throbbing pain in his head and chest slowly brought Obi-Wan Kenobi back to consciousness. Forcing his eyelids to open, all around him was nothing but black. At first he thought he was blindfolded, but then realized he was just enclosed in a small, dark room. His aching head gradually began to recall what had happened--- the surprise visit from Jaik Rafe, and the even more surprising stun blast that Jaik delivered straight into Obi-Wan's chest. 

He tried to stand up when he suddenly remembered Sari. Panic was his immediate reaction. If Jaik was a part of these crimes, then she and the children were in grave danger. Anger set in next as he tried to get free from the wrist restraints that had been applied once he was out cold. He had been right about this man the whole time. The uneasiness had been the Force telling Obi-Wan to beware, but he had simply written it off as petty jealousy about Sari. Well, _some_ of it still had to do with her, Obi admitted reluctantly. 

After unsuccessfully struggling with the restraints for a few moments, the Jedi realized that he was making things too difficult for himself. Closing his eyes and calming his mind, he focused the Force on the lock, and in just a few seconds the bolts clicked open and dropped to the floor. Obi-Wan quickly found the door and attempted to open it, but to no avail. Jaik had set the lock. Using the Force once again, Obi-Wan issued one powerful Jedi kick, and the door fell from its frame. 

Jaik Rafe had no idea who he was dealing with. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"... fifty-eight bottles of Correlian rum on the wall, fifty-eight bottles of rum...." 

Sari was oblivious to the loud singing voices of her students as the transport turned into the park and pulled to a stop. Her eyes nervously studied the surrounding area while the children began unloading. She didn't see Obi-Wan anywhere. Either he was great at camouflage, or he was nowhere around. Sari preferred not to even consider the latter possibility. 

"That's all of 'em," said the elderly transport driver. "Am I supposed to stay here?" 

Sari was surprised by his question. Apparently, he hadn't been informed about the plan. She had assumed Chairman Calder would have warned him about the possible danger involved in this little _'field trip'_. 

"Um... I'm not really sure how long we'll be here," she replied honestly. They were supposed to wait until something happened, and if nothing did by two o'clock, it was back to school. Artie, the driver, said he would wait awhile just for her sake and then flashed her a flirtatious grin. 

_____________________________________________________________________ 

A couple of hours had passed with no appearance of the kidnappers. Artie had left to get lunch. The children had toured the educational center and were now playing on the park's variety of _physically enriching_ equipment. In other words, it was recess time. 

Sari still had not seen the Jedi or anyone else suspicious looking. She was beginning to think that the plan was going to be a bust, when a familiar face seemed to come out of nowhere. 

"Jaik?" she said as the handsome teacher approached her. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be back at school?" He sat down next to her on the park bench and offered up one of his heart-melting smiles. 

"Calder found someone to cover my class. I wanted to be here to... help you, Sari." He smoothly put an arm around the back of the bench and laid his hand on her shoulder. She shifted uneasily and looked around to see if _'anyone'_ was watching. "Are you looking for someone?" he asked, trying desperately to contain a smirk. "The Jedi maybe?" 

Sari felt herself blush as she looked away from Jaik. 

"You know, Sari, I don't think you should put so much faith in that guy. Sure, he's got some fancy moves and a flashy sword, but I still don't trust him. He doesn't owe us or these kids anything. When he's done here, he'll just leave and go back to wherever he came from. What happens to these kids is no skin off of his back." Jaik leaned back triumphantly. Sari was slightly angered by Jaik's attitude toward Obi-Wan. She shifted her body to face him. 

"No, Jaik. I think you're wrong about him. He didn't have to come here in the first place, but he did. And he's offering his help freely. I think he does care about the children." She was getting more fired up as she continued. 

"And you know what? I think you're jealous of him." Jaik pulled his arm back into his lap and shot Sari a contemptuous look. "Yeah... you're jealous of him because he ruined our date the other night. You are so egotistical that you couldn't bear to have me cancel our date. I guess that was a new experience for you, wasn't it?... being 'canceled'." She almost regretted her words because his male pride was so obviously wounded. Her eyes bore into his, and she refused to be the first to look away. 

"Are you finished?" he asked flatly. She stuck her chin into the air and nodded her head 'yes'. "Then I think you need to stand and put your hands above your head." 

"What?" she asked in confusion. However, his meaning became perfectly clear when she saw the blaster he had pulled from his pocket. Her mouth dropped, and her body began reacting even before her mind had time to fully process what was happening. As she stood, she suddenly noticed that a group of men with blasters had circled the playground and were closing in on her students. She wanted to scream at them to run away, but all she could do was look sadly back at Jaik. 

"Why?" she asked as her voice caught in her throat. "Why are you doing this?" 

Some of the children were screaming for her now, pleading to know what was happening to them. One small Rodian boy tried to run through the blockade but was caught by the man Sari recognized as Korey, the man who had struck her that night in the mountains. Before she could yell out for him to stop, the man threw the boy onto the ground, and Sari heard the dull thud of his head as it hit. 

"Noooo!!!!" she screamed, but Jaik reached out and grabbed her with his free hand covering her mouth. The children were looking on in horror and bewilderment. 

"If you want to keep these kids from getting hurt, you'd better tell them to cooperate," Jaik whispered harshly into her ear. He began to walk her closer to the group of students frozen in terror and then thrust her into their midst. First she checked on the Rodian boy, and then the children ran to her, clinging onto any free spot they could find. Tears were falling down her cheeks as she looked into the tiny faces that had trusted her to protect them. 

She shushed their many frightened questions and rose to their level. The terror in their eyes broke her heart. _Where was Obi-Wan Kenobi?!_

__

__"Listen to me, kids. You have to do what these men say. Even though it's not right, if you try to run or talk back...... they might...... hurt you." It was difficult for her to get the words out. "Can you do that for me? Can you listen to them?" Their trusting faces nodded slightly and the questions resumed. 

"Where are they taking us, Miss Zendar?" 

"Who are they?" 

"Are they going to kill us?" 

"No," she answered. "If you listen to them, they'll not hurt you. I'm going to take care of this. I promise." She hugged as many of them as she could. 

"Yeah, yeah, sweetheart," said Lonzo, another familiar face from the mountains. "That's enough good-byes." He grabbed her and pulled her away from the children as they struggled in vain to keep hold of her. Once again, Jaik pulled her to him. The other men began to move the students toward a recently landed air transport. 

"I'm going to be a wealthy man because of this,"Jaik whispered in her ear. His hot breath made her stomach turn. "You know, I really liked you, Sari. You could have gotten in on this whole deal with me. We could've gone away to some exotic planet and gotten to know each other a little better." 

"You disgust me," she spat back. "I would never want to be with you.... not for any amount of money in the galaxy. You betrayed me. You betrayed these students. I'll never forgive you." 

Jaik chuckled. "Strong words for someone who may be looking at her last moments of daylight." 

_____________________________________________________________________ 

Obi-Wan chided himself for all of the mistakes he had been making ever since arriving on this planet. If the council knew about the most recent, it would simply seal the fate of his dream of becoming a council member someday. 

After escaping the locked closet of his hotel room, he had fled outside desperately searching for any type of transportation. Upon seeing a tough looking character leaning on a nearby swoop bike, Obi-Wan simply issued a brief wave of his hand and a persuasive comment via the Force. In seconds, he was on the _'borrowed'_ swoop and headed toward Kameer Park. He prayed it was the right place to look first. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

Sari was frozen in disbelief. _Had Jaik really just threatened her life? How could she have been so fooled by this loser?_

__

__She had always heard it said that when faced with death, a person's life would flash before her eyes. Only for Sari it was all of the things she had hoped for her future that flashed and not the past. She would never have a chance to experience a true lasting love or the joy of having her own children. No, Jaik Rafe-- if that was even his real name-- was going to take it all away. 

Well, not without a fight. How had she forgotten? The tiny blaster snuggled safely inside her jacket pocket seemed to be calling out to her... _'Use me! Use me!"_ Now all she needed was an opportunity. 

"Hey, Rafe!" called one of the other men. "We're just about ready to go." Both Sari and Jaik looked toward the air transport. Only a few of the children remained outside of the ship. The rest were already forced inside to be carted off to who knew where. 

Now was her chance. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

As Obi-Wan pulled off the road leading to the park, he could sense a group of terrified little minds through the Living Force. His master had repeatedly urged Obi-Wan to focus more on this aspect of the Force, and Obi had never forgotten the admonishment. He was frequently making himself acknowledge its influence and power, if only to prove that he did indeed learn something from all those years with Qui-Gon. 

Yes, this was definitely the place. 

He parked the swoop and dismounted, unclipping his light saber from his belt as he walked. This park was larger than he expected, but not many people were around. A large sign stood at the entrance path displaying a map. He noted a large educational building across a field with a playground on the other side. The perfect place to take a group of children. Obi-Wan Kenobi, fighting his anger at Jaik Rafe and the rest of the criminals involved, took off at a flat run, ready for a fight. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Jaik called back an answer to the other man. "Yeah, I'll be right there," he said. In that brief second, Sari had fumbled inside her jacket and clumsily pulled the blaster from its hiding place. By the time Jaik turned back around, he was quite surprised to be on the other end of an aimed blaster. 

"If I'm going to die, I'm taking you with me," Sari stated bluntly. 

_____________________________________________________________________ 

Obi-Wan had reached the educational building and could see the playground in the distance. As he got closer, he saw the air transport parked in a clearing near the play area, a few men standing near the loading ramp, and a few small children being forced on board. Another quick scan of the surroundings stopped him dead in his tracks. Sari and Jaik stood facing one another, each with a blaster aimed at the other's head. 

"Noooooo!!!" Obi-Wan screamed as he ignited his saber and began running again, trying to quickly cover the final distance between himself and the terrifying sight in front of him. 

All eyes turned to see the source of the yell, no one more surprised than Sari. Upon seeing the Jedi coming full speed with a glowing light saber, the men near the transport pushed the last children up the ramp and jumped on board. 

While Sari stood agape at the approaching man, Jaik seized the opportunity granted him and pulled the trigger on his blaster. Obi-Wan watched on in horror as the blast plummeted her through the air and onto the ground several yards away. Jaik couldn't believe what he had done and looked at his smoking blaster in shock. Another yell from Obi-Wan jolted him, and he took off towards the transport as it began to take off. The man barely made it on as the ramp closed shut behind him. 

Obi-Wan watched helplessly as the transport loaded with Sari's students lifted off and rapidly zoomed out of sight. How had he let this happen? His plan had been foolproof--- or so he had thought. Overconfidence had been his mistake. Now innocent children were paying the price. Sari would be devastated. 

_Sari!..._

He suddenly remembered she had been shot by the traitorous scum. As he spun around, he spotted her, and his heart stopped. She was lying motionless and face down at the edge of the clearing. He ran and knelt by her side. He gently rolled her onto her back and tenderly reached to wipe a smudge of dirt off of her beautiful face. 

It only took him a moment to realize that there was no wound. Placing his hand gently on her neck, he could still feel a faint pulse. A flood of relief washed over his whole being. She had only been stunned! Rafe had probably forgotten to set his blaster off of stun mode from earlier in Obi's hotel room. The Jedi pulled Sari into his arms and hugged her tight. She was alive! 

But how would he be able to face her? Especially after promising the children's safety? He had let her down along with the children and their families. Well, he would worry about all of that later. 

It would be a while before she awoke from the stun bolt, and even though his mind raced with things to do next, he knew taking care of Sari was his first priority. Taking her limp body in his arms, he carried her back to the borrowed speeder, placed her carefully in the back seat, and headed back to his hotel. 


	7. Chapter 7

Following Your Heart-- Chapter 7 

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Over an hour had passed since the incident in the park. Sari was still out cold from the stun blast-- courtesy of Jaik Rafe. Obi-Wan Kenobi sat in a chair next to the bed where she lay, watching intently for any sign of her waking. He could sense through the Force that she was not in any danger from the shot, but until she opened her eyes, his heart was tied in a knot. 

He kept rehearsing in his mind what he would say when she did regain consciousness. She would be angry, most definitely, but also probably quite devastated at the loss of the children. Well, he was ready for either response. 

The past hour had not gone to waste. His bag was packed. He had already booked passage on a ship that would take him to a space station known to be a switch point for many slave traders. As soon as she was awake and able to go home, he would leave and begin his search for her students. He had promised they would be safe, and he was bound and determined to find them and bring them home. Even though he knew it bordered on the dark side, he almost hoped to run into Jaik and repay the_ 'kindness'_ Rafe had offered to Sari and himself. 

Obi-Wan studied the sleeping woman on his bed. How was it possible that she had carved a niche in his heart and soul in such a short time? When he saw Rafe shoot her, he felt as if he himself had been shot. The anger had completely engulfed him until he found that she was only stunned. Even so, some of the anger remained and propelled the Jedi forward. He would not fail her again. 

"... mmmm..." A small moan sounded and startled Obi-Wan. His heart leaped with joy and relief. Sari's eyes struggled to open, and her hand moved to her forehead. After a few more waking moans, she opened her eyes and tried to figure out where she was. Obi-Wan moved from the chair to the bed and helped her sit up. 

"What?--- Where am I?" she asked, still a little disoriented. Obi-Wan held her hand gently. 

"You're in my hotel room. You were shot. Do you remember?" 

She shook her head in an attempt to jump-start her memory. It apparently worked because her eyes widened and she tried to jump up from the bed. 

"The children!!! Where are they?!" Obi-Wan gently pushed her back down. 

He had been ready for this only moments before, but now, looking into her panic-stricken eyes, he was speechless. Sari desperately searched his face and found her answer in his eyes. 

"They're gone, aren't they?" she said sadly, already knowing the truth. The Jedi nodded. She gazed down at her lap in silence. Obi-Wan could tell she was deep in thought because the expression on her face went from sadness to anger in no time at all. Suddenly, her face rose to meet his. 

"Where were you?!" she asked angrily. "You said you would be right there the whole time, so how did this happen?" By the time she got out the last few words, her voice was trembling, and tears were beginning to well in her eyes. He couldn't bear to see her cry and took her hands in his. 

"I am so sorry, Sari." He glanced down in shame before continuing. "Jaik came to my room this morning. He told me there had been a change in plans, and before I knew it, he had stunned me and locked me in the closet." He pointed to the fallen door and cracked frame on the other side of the room. "I eventually escaped, but...," his eyes fell again, "...but it was too late." 

Sari looked at Obi-Wan and knew in her heart that she trusted every word he said. She could tell he was already placing all blame upon himself. 

"Jaik," she stated with contempt. "Humph! What a fool I was. He shot me, too." Obi-Wan looked back up into her face and found compassion there accompanied by a sweet smile. "How could someone be so deceitful and mean? He saw those children everyday. They trusted him.... I trusted him. You know, he meant to kill me, Obi-Wan." 

She was so hurt, and he couldn't stand to see it. He reached up and tenderly wiped a tear from her cheek, then leaned over and kissed the same spot. He sat back and wondered what he should do or say next but didn't have to wonder for long. 

Sari sprung from the bed and put her hands on her hips. "So what do we do now?" she asked. Obi-Wan stood then and shook his head. 

"Oh, no!" he began. "_WE_ are not doing anything. I am going to look for them, while _YOU_ are staying right here." He maneuvered her into the chair and tried to retain control of the situation. "I already have a lead on where to look first, and my ship leaves in just a few hours." 

She popped back up out of the chair with fire in her eyes. "If you think that I am sitting around here while my children are who knows where and you're off trying to find them, well, then,... you are..... very..... wrong... Jedi Kenobi." His formal name was added for emphasis, and she hoped it made her appear more determined and capable. 

"Sari, I can't put you in harm's way again. If Jaik did mean to kill you, then maybe next time--," he stopped, unable to speak the words, so she finished for him. 

"What? Maybe next time he will?" Sari grabbed his hand. "Look, I appreciate your concern for my safety. I'm quite flattered by it, really," she said as a light blush colored her cheeks. "But the lives of those twenty terrified little people mean more to me than my own. I've got to do something, Obi-Wan. Please let me come with you." 

How could he deny her anything? Those big blue eyes of hers melted his staunch Jedi resolve in no time at all. The hold she was taking on him should have frightened him, but strangely it delighted him instead. 

"I can handle it... and I won't get in your way.... I promise." She kept trying to convince him, and as she spoke, she unconsciously kept squeezing his hand. Obi-Wan stifled a grin. "What would I do if I stayed here? I have no students to teach." 

He knew she meant no harm in her remark, but it stabbed into his guilty conscience anyway. 

"I shouldn't let you," he stated. "The council will never approve." His weakening defense became apparent, and Sari made one more attempt. 

"Two heads are better than one, they say." 

"All right," he said after a deep breath. "You can come,--- but only if you listen and follow my instructions. I know how teachers like to **_give_** orders--- not take them--- but it's for your own good." 

Sari nodded her head eagerly, then threw her arms around Obi-Wan in a tight embrace. "You won't be sorry," she promised and ,without thinking, planted a big kiss on his lips. Pulling back, she noticed the look of surprise on his face. "Oh.... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have--" 

"No," he interjected. The look of surprise was gone and replaced by something different. "Don't be sorry. I'm not." Putting his arms around her waist, he drew her back to him and slowly leaned in to place a very warm and very long kiss on her mouth. A little groan of ecstasy escaped as she slid her hands up his chest and around his neck. Their lips parted ever so slightly and the kisses continued, one beginning as soon as another ended. 

The feel of his tender lips and strong hands around her waist made Sari feel rather light headed. It had been a long time since she had felt like this-- or had she ever felt exactly like this? 

Obi-Wan broke from her lips and moved his gentle assault to her neck. Her breaths were rapid now and all nerves were awake and highly sensitive to his every touch. 

"Is... is this some kind of... Jedi mind trick?" she managed to ask in a husky voice. He chuckled lightly in her ear and then whispered. 

"Not unless you are a Jedi, too." He looked up at her and smiled with a twinkle in his eyes. "You must be working some kind of magic on me, Sari, because you're all I've been able to think about ever since I arrived on this planet." 

Now she was the one wearing a look of surprise. "Really?" she asked, keeping her arms around him. 

"Really," he answered. Looking into her eyes, he almost forgot about his mission. Part of him wanted to just stay right where he was--- in her arms. The man in him could think of a hundred things they could do right there... things he had never done before. However, reality reared its sobering head and snapped him out of his lover's trance. 

"Sari, we have to get going if we're to catch our ship on time." It wasn't exactly what she was expecting next, and she frowned for just a second before realizing he was right. 

"Right," she said as she slid her hands back down his chest to hang at her sides. As much as she hated to stop, the children were more important than her personal pleasure-- _at least for now_. 

"We'll stop by your apartment so you can pack a few things and then head to the spaceport." 

"I suppose I should call school and tell them I'll be gone for a while." 

"No!" Obi-Wan snapped, much to her surprise. "I still think someone else at the school is involved. Right now they think you're dead, which might work to our advantage, so tell no one." 

Sari nodded obediently, feeling with each passing moment that maybe she was getting in over her head. Obi-Wan sensed her apprehension and lightly ran the back of his hand down her cheek. 

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you, Sari. You mean too much to me." 

Then he softly kissed her again before leading her out the door. 

After gathering a few things from her apartment, Sari and Obi-Wan headed for the spaceport. Few words passed between them on the way, but then few words were needed. Their changed relationship was entering a new kind of understanding, although neither knew where it would all end up. 

Obi-Wan kept her close, either holding her hand as they strode through the spaceport or protectively putting an arm around her as they rode the turbo lift to their dock. It was new for both of them. She was used to being by herself--- self-reliant to the hilt. He was used to protecting others, but never had his heart been so involved. The two exchanged countless stolen looks and smiles, and Obi even brought her hand to his lips for a sweet kiss several times. One elderly woman even asked if they were newlyweds. 

Sari giggled and glanced at a blushing Obi-Wan. He caught her gaze and a mischievous flare sparkled in his eyes. 

"Why, yes... yes we are," he replied to the old woman, wrapping an arm around his 'bride' and pulling her to him for a quick kiss on the cheek. Sari couldn't believe what he had just said. 

"Ah, yes," the woman sighed. "I remember when I was just married. Young love is such bliss." 

"Yes, yes it is," Obi continued with a sly wink. 

"Are you headed on your honeymoon?" 

"How could you tell?" Sari responded before the Jedi had a chance. She squeezed herself up against him in a hug, ran a hand over his chest, and felt him take in a quick breath at her touch. //Two can play at this game!// she thought to herself. 

The old woman smiled. "You can always tell when two people are in love. It just radiates from their very souls. You two are very lucky to have found each other in this day and age, what with all the violence and anger out there. We've got to hang onto the good in our lives with all our might!" She was very passionate as she spoke to the twosome, and suddenly they both sobered. What she said was right. 

Obi-Wan looked back at Sari. She was most certainly a 'good thing', and he wanted nothing more than to hold onto her, no matter what the cost. 

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	8. Chapter 8: The Search

Following Your Heart-- Chapter 8: The Search 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

After boarding the passenger transport, Obi-Wan and Sari decided to meet in the ship's dining lounge after freshening up. Neither had eaten since breakfast that morning, and the day's excitement left them both feeling famished. Fortunately, Obi-Wan was able to secure a room for her right next to his own. The woman at the ticket counter had at first claimed no empty rooms. However, with a slight wave of Obi's hand and a subtle suggestion to _check again_, the lady had quickly found a cancellation. 

Sari took a quick shower and slipped into a simple black dress that hit her mid-calf. Her mother had always told her a little black dress was perfect for any occasion, and now was as good an occasion as any. She liked the way the silky, lightweight fabric fell across her body and made her feel feminine, yet alluring at the same time. Her usual teacher's wardrobe left little room for sex appeal. 

"I haven't forgotten about the kids," she assured her reflection in the mirror. "And besides... there's nothing wrong with being clean and looking nice, is there?" She felt giddy inside, just like when she was a teenager. It was the good kind of nervous butterflies flitting around inside her stomach. 

After a little more primping, Sari slid into her shoes and spritzed a bit of perfume on her wrists and behind her ears. Now she was ready to go. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Making her way to the lounge, she tried to calm her anxiety, but a silly grin would escape every so often. Could everyone who looked at her tell how totally smitten she was with a certain dashing Jedi Knight? Part of her knew how irrational and impractical she was being about Obi-Wan, but the rest of her didn't care. She was forever being practical and realistic, and, for once, she just wanted to let go and live a little. **_Experience_** is the best teacher, she kept telling herself. 

The lighting in the corridors was low, and Sari guessed it was purposely set so in order to hide the aging interior. This was definitely not a new vessel, perhaps not even built within her own lifetime. She had laughed at her room's garrish red velvet furnishings. It appeared to be the very epitome of every house of ill repute she had ever seen on a holovid or read about in a book. 

The sound of a pulsating rhythm found Sari's ears before she even rounded the corner to the lounge. The music was even louder once she entered the dimly lit room. Off to her left was a bar lined with various unsavoury types, all of whom watched her entrance with uncomfortably lingering gazes. Sari suddenly became aware of how much skin she was showing and almost wished the dress wasn't so low cut. 

Straight ahead was a dance floor filled with all sorts of beings performing moves that made her look away in embarrassment. Her father, if he were present, would suggest they all go get a private room instead of subjecting everyone to their indecent actions. This was definitely a new experience for the young teacher. 

Over to her right was a dining area filled with tables. After searching unsuccessfully for Obi-Wan, she decided to find an empty table and wait. Just as she was about to sit down, the chair moved from underneath her. 

"Let me get that for you, sweetheart." 

Sari looked up to find a very tall, very rough looking man smiling down smugly at her. He had short bleached hair cut in a spike, but his unshaven face showed stubble of a darker hue. A hoop earring dangled from each ear, and his bare arms sported tattoos from wrist to shoulder. 

He was holding the chair, waiting for her to sit down. Finally, she regained her composure and eased herself into the seat, now fully conscious of the cleavage she was showing. The man noticed, too, never taking his eyes off of her form even while pulling up a chair for himself. Sari wanted to smack the disgusting grin right off of his face. 

"So, what's your name?" he asked. 

"Jaira," she responded. This would give her an opportunity to try out the new persona she had adopted for this trip. Obi-Wan had decided that it would be best to travel _incognito_ for the time being. 

"Well, Jaira, I'm Ace, and I'm here to make all your dreams come true." Sari couldn't stifle a snicker at his conceit, and he stopped smiling for just a moment. 

"And what exactly would you know about my dreams... Ace?" she asked. Despite his rather large muscles and tall frame, Sari was not one to be intimidated by a man such as this. He leaned in closer, placed an arm around her shoulders and stared at her chest the whole time he spoke. 

"You, my dear, are a woman who needs a real man, one who can satisfy her every desire--- and I'm him." He nodded his head as he spoke the last few words. He definitely wasn't suffering from low self-esteem, Sari thought. She gently took his arm and moved it off of her shoulders. 

"Thanks, but I'm not interested," she stated, thinking that he would surely get the message. Much to her dismay, he didn't quite make the connection. He scooted even closer to her chair and put his face in hers. His smile was gone and only a look of pure meanness shone in his eyes. 

"I don't think you understand," he growled lowly. "Lots of women would die for a chance with me." A flutter of fright swept through Sari, but she wasn't about to let him know it. She pulled her face away from his. 

"No, _you_ don't understand. I'm not interested in a _'chance'_ with you." She spoke more slowly in hopes he would get the point this time. 

It didn't work. 

His male pride was pushed to the point of no return. Several other rough looking characters were now watching the scene intently, anxious to see the outcome. Ace wouldn't be beaten. 

He grabbed her arm and jerked her up from the chair. His tight grip made her wince in pain, and, for a moment, the thought of what he was capable of doing to her scared her to death. 

"I believe the young lady told you she wasn't interested." 

The voice broke through the tension like a ray of light in a dark room. The accent was unmistakable. However, when Sari turned toward the voice, a new face looked back at her. It had to be Obi-Wan, but gone were his long hair and beard. He now had a much shorter layered cut and a smooth shaven face that made him appear younger than his thirty-some years. He was still dressed in all black, but instead of a cape, he wore a tailored nerf leather jacket to cover his black turtleneck shirt. 

Ace scowled at Obi-Wan and dropped Sari's arm. He walked around the table and stood only inches away from Obi, having no idea he was facing a highly trained Jedi. 

"I don't think it's any of your business... punk!" Ace spat as he poked a finger into Obi-Wan's chest. The man was quite a bit larger than the Jedi, but size mattered not when it came to using the Force. Obi-Wan fought down the desire to knock the man into next week, but couldn't keep a snarl from his lips. Types like Ace gave men a bad name. 

Obi stood his ground. "Yes, it is my business. She's with me." Sari smiled at his defense of her. She liked being _'with him'_. Ace glanced back at Sari as if to ask if this was true. In response, she quickly moved to stand next to Obi-Wan's side. Now, all the people in the lounge were watching. A silly grin spread across the big man's face. 

"Well, then, accept my apology." Suddenly, Ace drew back his arm and swung at Obi-Wan. Luckily, Obi had sensed the man's intentions and pushed Sari out of the way before ducking the blow just in time. He grabbed Ace's arm, swung it around the man's back, and slammed him down into the table. 

Obi-Wan leaned down to whisper in Ace's ear. "I don't think you want to mess with me. It's not worth it." After keeping Ace down for a few seconds of 'quiet contemplation, Obi loosened his grip to let the man back up. Ace rubbed his arm and backed away. 

"Yeah, you're not worth my time," Ace repeated. Then he turned and strode arrogantly out of the lounge. Within seconds, all of the spectators resumed their previous activities, and Obi-Wan and Sari sat down at the table. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

In the cold, sterile hold of a cargo freighter, twenty frightened and confused children of various races sat huddled together. Muffled sobs sounded from several of the small captives, and some attempted to comfort their classmates with hugs and reassuring words. However, in one corner, a small group of three were quietly discussing their plight with hushed whispers. 

"It was too Mr. Rafe!" Aido, a Rodian boy exclaimed. "I saw him shoot Miss Zendar right before the door shut on the transport." 

"Do you think she's dead?" the Twi'lek girl Nay'la asked. She had formed a close attachment to her teacher, and the thought that the woman might be dead broke the young girl's heart. 

Aido looked down at the floor and whispered, "I... I'm not sure. She flew back and hit the ground awful hard....." He glanced at the girl and saw the look of devastation on her face, then added, "But, maybe she's okay. That Jedi man was there when we took off. Maybe he saved her." Nay'la smiled weakly at her friend's attempt to ease her pain. 

"I sure hope so, Aido. I sure hope so." 

Ebo, who had been sitting in silence for the duration of the conversation, finally spoke. "Do you think someone will come for us?" 

The others looked at him, but no one answered. No one was sure where they were, who had them, or what was going to happen to them next. There was simply nothing else to say. 

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	9. Chapter 9

Following Your Heart-- Chapter 9 

Author: valsolo 

Genre: Romance/ Adventure 

Rating: PG--- Be forewarned! Lots of mush ahead. :) 

Summary: Obi-Wan Kenobi has met Sari Zendar while investigating the disappearance of students from her school. The two, who just so happen to be falling for one another, are now en route to search for the missing children. 

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Sari stared at Obi-Wan across the table. He was nonchalantly perusing the menu as if nothing had happened. Recalling the smooth way the Jedi handled Ace only minutes before, Sari chuckled and shook her head in amusement. 

"You are amazing, Obi-Wan Kenobi," she said as he looked up from his reading. 

"What?" he asked innocently. With all of the hair gone from his face, Sari noticed a slight cleft in his chin and dimples when he smiled. She could almost imagine him as a boy getting into all sorts of mischief and causing his teachers much grief. 

"I'm very impressed--- and grateful," she quickly added. "That guy just wasn't getting the message." 

"Yes, he did seem quite determined to gain your affection, didn't he?" Obi-Wan set the menu down and took Sari's hand in his. "I can't say that I blame him. You look beautiful, Sari." 

His voice was as sweet and smooth as honey to her ears, and she felt her face warm with a blush. Shyly, she glanced down at her lap. Even though it was the reaction she was hoping for from him, now that he said it , she felt embarrassed. Before her face exploded, she needed to change the conversation. 

"Well, I almost didn't recognize you without your hair, your beard, or your Jedi clothes," she said teasingly. "Only your voice gave you away." Sari couldn't pull her eyes from his gaze. He had to be the sexiest man she had ever seen. He wasn't a pretty boy with perfect features, but a real man who had experienced some of what life could dish out and had overcome the bitterness it could leave behind. No.... in his eyes was a light-- a beacon for her hungry soul.... something that called to her... drew her in, and wouldn't let go. 

"Oh, yeah," he said self-consciously running one hand over his clean shaven face. "I thought it best to alter my appearance for the time being. Jedi don't usually disguise themselves since they believe in honesty and forthrightness in all matters." 

He looked away, and Sari could sense his inner turmoil. She could tell that he was a man who liked to follow the rules and do the right thing at all costs. After a few silent seconds, he continued. 

"However, desperate times call for desperate measures. Besides, I've already broken enough rules on this mission already, and one more shouldn't break the bantha's back," he finished with a roguish grin. 

_What rules had he broken?,_ Sari wondered. Should she ask him? No. He would explain if he wanted to. She wouldn't push him. 

"What do we do now?" she asked, partly referring to their new relationship and partly to the children. 

"Well, this ship makes the run to the Ankara Space Station twice a week, so we should be able to find someone who can give us some information about Perrin's operation. First, I'm going to procure a couple of blasters for us. It would be best not to display my lightsaber for a while. Looking at our fellow passengers, however, I'm sure I can get those with no problem." His eyes moved to survey the shady characters filling the lounge, and then landed on Sari and offered a sly wink. "Maybe Ace could help us out." 

He delighted in her shocked response and laughed out loud. "I'm only joking," he assured her. "Now, you must be as hungry as I am, so let's order." 

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The nerf steak was tough, the side dishes were cold, and the drinks were warm, but neither Sari or Obi-Wan noticed. They were too busy enjoying each other's company to care about something as trivial as dinner. Sari talked about her family back on Teemar... about growing up the only girl among four brothers... about her childhood dream of being a holovid actress and then settling on the more practical career of an educator. 

"I finally accepted the fact that I wasn't tall enough or thin enough or pretty enough to make it as an actress," she admitted, looking down at her plate. 

Obi-Wan touched her arm. "No, you're too pretty and too intelligent to waste your time on such a superficial industry. You have much more to offer the galaxy. Look at all the lives you've touched as a teacher. You may have been the inspiration behind the next inventor of a cure for a galactic illness. No, you made the right choice. I saw how those children admired you. You're the amazing one, Sari." 

Sari stared dumbfounded. No one had ever lavished so many compliments on her at one time before, much less a galactic Jedi hero. Obi-Wan suddenly realized how much he had revealed concerning his feelings for her and pulled his hand back to his plate. _What was he doing?_ He wasn't the type to gush his emotions, but something about her made him so comfortable. _What would Yoda think?_ _Did he really care_ _what Yoda would think?_ He had always lived his life according to everyone else's expectations, and now... now... things were changing. 

Sari cleared her throat, and tried to change the subject. 

"You haven't told me too much about yourself. I'll bet you have some amazing stories you could tell." 

Obi-Wan glanced back up and smiled. "Not as many as you might think. I've always been a Jedi, whether I was in training or a padawan apprentice, and now a knight... it's been my whole life... all I've ever wanted." He stared off into space as if in deep thought at his last words. The silence made Sari nervous. 

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry," she said apologetically. 

"No, don't be. I've just never shared too many of my 'stories' with anyone before... but I'd like to." 

Just then, the band began to play a beautiful melody and couples all around the lounge were moving to the dance floor as if being led by a mysterious pied piper. 

Sari pushed back from the table and stood up. "Will you dance with me?" she boldly asked thrusting her hand in front of Obi-Wan. He was taken aback by her offer at first. 

"I... I don't really dance. It wasn't one of my main areas of study back at the temple, you know." He tried to joke his way out of it, but the hurt look in Sari's eyes wore him down in seconds. He stood then and took her hand in his. "I would be honored, Miss Zendar." The beautiful smile that spread across her face made his heart do a flip. He would dance, even if he looked like a fool doing it. He would do anything for her. 

Sari led him to the dance floor where they found a small open area waiting just for them. The music already had Sari swaying to its sweet rhythm when Obi-Wan reached around her waist and pulled her close. Their eyes were locked, and he entwined his right hand with her left. She could feel the warmth of his left hand on the small of her back as she pressed even closer against him. _Was that her_ _heart_ _beating or his?,_ she wondered. 

_Was that his heart beating or hers?,_ he wondered. Every nerve in him was acutely aware of her body firmly pressed against his. The feel of it was overwhelming to his Jedi senses. She laid her head against his chest, and he nestled his face into her sumptuous hair. The scent of her was intoxicating, and the feel of her bare skin as he ran his hand up her back was more than he could stand. 

Both closed their eyes and let the music guide their steps. Never before had Obi-Wan experienced anything like this. Were the Jedi cheating themselves out of a wonderful part of life by not having any romantic relationships? Right now he would have to say yes. Being with Sari was pure heaven. 

The band played another slow song allowing the couple to remain on the dance floor in each other's arms. Sari didn't want the music to ever end. With Obi-Wan she felt so safe... so complete. She lifted her head from his strong chest and breathed in the musky smell of him. His eyes twinkled as he stared back at her and grinned. 

"What?" she asked searching his face. 

"Nothing really. I was just thinking about how much things have changed in the course of just a few days." 

"Has it been for the better?" She was hoping he'd say yes. 

"I think so," he responded. Then he leaned down and gently placed a soft kiss on her forehead. 

The music ended breaking the spell. Both became suddenly self-conscious and stepped away from one another. _What now?,_ Sari asked herself. 

"I think I'd better head back to my room. I'm getting really tired," she said, and it was true. All of the day's events had finally caught up with her and sleep was beckoning. And if she didn't get away from him soon, well.... who knew what would happen. 

"Yes, of course," Obi-Wan replied. "I'm pretty tired, also." He didn't need as much sleep as Sari did. His Jedi powers allowed him to tap into the Force and replenish his energy, but she needed her rest. "I'll walk you back to your quarters, if you like," he offered. 

"Thank you," she said with a smile. 

Obi-Wan couldn't bring himself to let go of her hand even when they reached the door to her room. They both awkwardly shifted their weight from foot to foot, waiting for the other to speak first. 

"Would you like to come in and see the beautiful furnishings?" Sari asked with a hint of sarcasm. "They're rather... interesting." She assumed he would refuse. He didn't. 

"Well, maybe for just a few minutes. You need your rest after the long day we've had." He didn't want to tell her that he really didn't want to leave her side for even a minute, much less the whole night. He was afraid he would sound like a lovesick boy... even thought that was pretty much the truth. 

The crimson fabric everywhere punched his senses into overdrive. 

"Whoa! They really went wild with the red in here, didn't they?" he said. Sari sat her purse down on the bedside table and then slid her heeled shoes off as she plopped onto the bed. 

"I don't know how they expect someone to sleep with all this over- stimulation everywhere you look! Red is not actually a soothing color, in my opinion." 

Obi-Wan's breath caught in his throat as he looked over at Sari sitting on the bed. Her black dress contrasting with the scarlet bed cover only accentuated the creaminess of the soft skin on her arms and neck. He had never been so aware of a woman's form before, and he didn't quite know how to handle the urgings coursing through his body at the moment, so he just stood there staring. 

Sari was oblivious to the difficulty Obi-Wan was having with his feelings, and she innocently patted the bed next to her. "Why don't you come and sit down. We could talk some more." Talking was not exactly what was running through his mind right now. 

"Okay," he answered weakly. Pulling off his jacket, he sat down at the end of the bed. Sari grinned. 

"I don't bite... usually," she said teasingly. Obi-Wan looked like an inexperienced teenage boy as he fumbled to move closer to her. Finally he settled in and looked up at her with those dreamy eyes of his. Her teasing was gone. 

"Hello," she whispered softly once he was situated facing her. 

"Hello," he replied as he gazed longingly into her sparkling blue eyes. 

"I want to thank you, Obi-Wan Kenobi." 

"What?" he asked shaking his head in confusion. Sari scooted closer to him, ran a hand up his firm chest, and then brushed her hand across his smooth shaven face. 

_What are you doing?_ she questioned herself silently, but she couldn't help herself. 

"Thank you for coming to Teemar to help with the children. Thank you for trying to save them, for saving me... more than once," she added with a grin, "and for letting me be with--- I mean, come with you. I know you're probably not used to having such a burden slowing you down." 

Obi-Wan grabbed her hand. "You could never be a burden, Sari. Never." Then he brought her hand to his lips and tenderly kissed her hand, all the while never taking his eyes off of hers. She thought her heart might jump right out of her chest. Sari moved in so that their bodies were separated by only a thin sliver of space. 

So many things were running through her mind at that moment. She hadn't meant to let him get so close again. Obi-Wan could feel himself being drawn to her and couldn't---- no-- he wouldn't stop. He gently started to kiss her cheek with feathery kisses, and she could feel herself losing control. Before she knew it, she blurted out the very thought that was on her mind at that very second. 

"Do Jedi ever---- marry?" Sari asked in a husky whisper before placing a soft kiss on his chin. She continued along his jaw line and then down onto his neck relishing the quickening pace of his pulse as her lips touched him. She felt him swallow hard and take in a deep breath. 

"Sure... sure they do... sometimes," he replied breathlessly trying to retain some control over the situation. It wasn't working. He could sense the desire coming from her and fought down his own. He put a hand under her chin and lifted her face to begin his own assault on her smooth neck. A small whimper escaped her lips as he began lavishing short passionate kisses onto her mouth. In between his kisses, he continued to respond to her question. 

"Those.... that do..... marry, eventually..... leave the order for a..... more quiet .....life with their families." He kept up the kissing and found himself enjoying it more than he thought could be possible. She tasted so sweet. 

_Leave the order? Is that what he had said?_

"Oh," she muttered and then pulled away from his grasp. Sari knew him enough to know that he would never stop being a Jedi. He had made it clear that being a Jedi was his sole goal in life. 'They' could never really 'be' anything. 

"Did I say something wrong?" he asked, bewildered by her sudden coolness. 

"No... I just... I don't know. I don't know what I was thinking. Just being silly, I guess." 

She jumped up from the bed and looked around for something to clean. The Jedi was totally confused now. Only seconds before they had been near to declaring their undying love, and now she was--- cleaning?! 

"What are you doing?" Calming himself with the Force, a clear mind allowed him to see the problem. He walked over to Sari who was busy folding and refolding the clothes in her travel bag and gently spun her around to face him. He could see a tear ready to fall from her eye and wiped it away with his thumb. 

She fought back more tears. She couldn't let him see how upset she had gotten. "I think I'm going to go to bed now, if you don't mind," she said weakly. "I've had a very long day, and I... I just want to go to bed." She looked away to hide the hurt that was written all over her face. 

Obi-Wan smiled inwardly at her attempt at bravery. He knew that she was disappointed in his reply about the Jedi and marriage, but he had been honest with her. Most of them _did_ leave the order to focus on their own families. That was a fact. He had never thought much about marriage or the effect it had on a Jedi's life, until now. 

"Sari, I---," he began. He wanted to explain... to make her understand that he wasn't necessarily set in his life path anymore. She had changed everything. 

"Goodnight," she stated flatly, and that was that. He had been dismissed. 

He started again, but stopped. The damage was done. "Goodnight," he replied, and then he left. 

Obi-Wan leaned against the door and contemplated his predicament. Sari was definitely someone he wanted in his life, but how would she fit? After this mission was completed, he would be expected to go back to Coruscant, and then what would become of he and Sari? Maybe she could move to Coruscant and---- no, he couldn't expect her to give up everything she knew for him. Perhaps he could be stationed on Teemar and they could---- not likely, he admitted. There was no clear path ahead of them, to be sure. All he was sure of was that he desperately needed a cold shower and a good night's sleep. 


	10. Chapter 10

**Following Your Heart-- Chapter 10**

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**Sleep finally found Sari Zendar, but only after a few tears were shed. She wasn't angry with Obi-Wan. No, she was angry at herself for letting her heart get so involved when she knew it could never work out. Obi-Wan was a Jedi, committed to his calling, unwavering in his devotion to serve others and maintain peace and justice across the galaxy. He would never trade such a life for a simple one of marriage and family. **

****

**Before she drifted off to sleep, her purpose was renewed. The children were her main priority, _not_ a doomed romance with a Jedi.... albeit a very handsome, charming, sexy Jedi.**

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**After a much needed cold shower, Obi-Wan settled in for some long overdue meditation. In quiet times of reflection, matters always seemed to become more clear to him. Only this time, it didn't work.**

****

**Sari's face repeatedly interrupted his thoughts. He had realized too late what she was implying when she asked about Jedi and marriage. To her, his answer had brought disappointment. He realized that--- now. She was falling as hard as he was in this relationship, but his words and the truth they held burst any hopes she had. Such confusion had never lingered this long in his mind before. The Force had always guided him to the clear choice. But now... the Force just wasn't a very big help when it came to matters of the heart.**

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**The next morning, Obi-Wan Kenobi decided to focus on the children and them alone. Sari was apparently not too keen on him at the moment, so finding the children became his top priority. He could sense Sari's presence next door. She was still sleeping soundly, so he didn't wake her. Instead he set out on a quest to buy a couple of blasters and hopefully a little information to go along with them.**

****

**Less than an hour later, he had the blasters and the name of a contact at the space station. The lounge bartender had happily shared that information..... for a hefty little sum. Obi-Wan was grateful that he had thought to bring some cold hard cash with him. He just hoped it would last throughout the remainder of the mission.**

****

**Sari awoke with a pounding headache. Even after a full night's sleep, the events of the past week had not only caught up with her, but had picked her up and body slammed her against a wall. Of course, she had nothing to take for relief of the pain since she had only had ten minutes to pack her travel bag, so she opted to stay under the covers--- all day if she had to.**

****

**The knock on her door sounded like someone was ringing a gong in her ears. Grabbing her head, she threw back the covers with a growl and stumbled to the door. Pushing the open button, the door swished aside to reveal a wide awake and way- too- perky Jedi knight.**

****

**"Good morning," he offered with a friendly smile. He had to chuckle at Sari's disheveled appearance. Her hair was matted to one side of her head and sticking out on the other. Her eyes were struggling to stay open as she stepped back to let him enter.**

****

**"Good morning," she mumbled, and then she crawled back into her bed.**

****

**"You're not much of a morning person, are you?" Obi-Wan teased.**

****

**Sari was not amused. "Did you want something?" she muttered from her little nest.**

****

**Obi-Wan was startled by her ambivalence, but tried to ignore it. He understood her mood. "I... I brought you something," he stated proudly as he pulled something from his pocket.**

****

**"Unless it's something for this headache, I don't want it."**

****

**"Are you always this bright and cheerful in the morning?" he teased again. Sari pulled down the covers from her face to glare at the grinning man sitting on the end of her bed.**

****

**"I'm only teasing," he added as he threw up his hands in surrender. In his right hand was a blaster. He reached it to her and she took it, gave it a cursory glance, then tossed it on the bed.**

****

**"Gee, thanks," she said. "And to think, most girls only get flowers."**

****

**Obi-Wan suddenly felt foolish. A blaster wasn't the most romantic gift a man could offer a woman, but in their case, it was necessary. However, flowers might have soothed the rift between them more easily. Sari was trying to distance herself from him... he could feel the conflict within her. Her harsh words did wound his male pride a bit, but he chalked it up to her own wounded pride. She had revealed herself to him, and he hadn't handled the situation very well.**

****

**"You'll need it. I also got the name of a contact on Ankara who might lead us to Perrin. So, I've accomplished much while you've been lazing around all morning." He hoped his attempt at levity wouldn't be misconstrued. "Now, you said something about a headache. I can help. Sit up."**

****

**Sari glared once again before giving in and following his instructions. He motioned for her to turn her back to him and then placed his hands on the base of her neck. Using firm, slow motions he continued to rub all along her neck and then her shoulders. She moaned at how wonderful his hands felt and gradually began to feel the pain in her head fade away.**

****

**"Did they teach you this at the Jedi temple?" she asked, her mood lightening with every touch of his fingers.**

****

**"As a matter of fact, yes, they did. It was in a healing technique class I had as a padawan. Is it helping your headache?" He had leaned close to her ear and she could feel his breath as it blew across her neck.**

****

**"Yes, thank you," she responded. **

****

**"You're very welcome, Sari," he whispered. She could feel herself slipping again... falling under his spell, and she had to stop. Suddenly she turned around and forced a smile.**

****

**"Headache's all gone," she announced, jumping up from the bed. "I think I'll get a shower and then maybe go for some breakfast. How about I meet you in the lounge in an hour?"**

****

**"All... all right," Obi-Wan muttered, surprised by her quick change in moods. She ushered him to the door and then hastily pushed the close button before slumping against the wall.**

****

**"Oh no you don't, Obi-Wan Kenobi. I am not going to let you get to me ever again." And with that solemn vow, she marched to the refresher and jumped right in.**

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

****The rest of the day, Sari made excuses to leave Obi-Wan's company every time she felt herself getting too close to him... physically or emotionally. Inexperienced at love games, Obi-Wan finally gave up trying to figure her out, and they both retired to their rooms early to spend the evening alone. 

Obi-Wan decided to contact Anakin seeing that a couple of days had passed since they had last spoken. Luckily the ship had holoprojectors in every room--- to accommodate all of the questionable transactions, he supposed. After a few seconds, Anakin's face filled the projection field. 

"Obi-Wan! Where have you been? I've been trying to get in touch with you for days!" Anakin declared. 

"It's nice to see you too, Anakin," Obi replied sarcastically. The padawan suddenly realized his lack of proper etiquette and blushed at his mistake. 

"Sorry... but Master Yoda wants to talk to you. I've been leaving messages on your lady friend's holo, but I couldn't get a hold of her. What's going on?" Anakin furrowed his brow as he studied Obi-Wan's face closely. "And what happened to your beard?" 

Obi-Wan bypassed the last question and focused instead on the first. "Much has happened in the last two days. The short of it is that this man, Perrin, managed to kidnap twenty more children with the help of one of the school's teachers." 

"Not Sari!" Anakin exclaimed. 

"No-- of course not!" Obi asserted. "It was, however, her class that was captured." 

"Oh, man... is she okay?" Obi-Wan marveled at his padawan's sincere concern. Some of his youthful wholesomeness had not yet been chipped away by harsh reality. 

"Yes, she's doing well. In fact...," Obi-Wan paused and cleared his throat, "... in fact, she's come along with me to find the children." 

"What?!" Anakin's mouth hung open in shock. "You know the council forbids us to involve innocents in our missions, Master. If they find out--" 

"They're not going to find out, Anakin," the master stated firmly. "Besides, she's quite capable and determined when she sets her mind on something." 

Anakin continued to study his friend's face, looking for clues to his uncharacteristic behavior. "You couldn't tell her no, could you?" Anakin asked with a grin. Obi-Wan was silent for a moment before speaking. 

"No... I couldn't," he admitted shamefully. Anakin was grinning from ear to ear now. 

"You like her, don't you? .... Oh, yeah, you like her a lot!" Seeing this side of his usually straight-laced, by-the-book master gave the boy a new respect for the man. "What are you so embarrassed about, Obi-Wan? She seems great, and there's nothing wrong with having feelings for someone. Even though we're Jedi, we're still human--- and male. Take me for example. I'm going to marry Padme someday, and I'm not ashamed to tell anybody." 

"Not that again, Anakin," Obi-Wan muttered, rolling his eyes. Anakin had a crazy notion that he was somehow destined to one day wed Padme, also known as Queen Amidala of the Naboo. The boy's idealistic view of life and love was not very realistic, but Obi-Wan didn't want to argue that point right now. 

"You'll see I'm right one of these days," Anakin replied, " but right now, you need to call Master Yoda." 

"Yes. I'll do that... now," Obi-Wan agreed. 

"And Obi-Wan?" the boy added. 

"Hmm?" 

"Don't blow it... with her, I mean. I can tell she means a lot to you. Do something for yourself for a change. The galaxy _will_ go on without you for a while, you know. May the Force be with you." Then he was gone. 

"May the Force be with you, Anakin," Obi spoke to the empty room as he contemplated the wise words of his young charge. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"Think you can right this injustice, do you?" The words of the wizened Jedi master questioned Jedi knight Obi-Wan Kenobi across the vastness of space. 

"Yes, I do, Master Yoda. I have a promising lead to the whereabouts of the missing children, and I believe I can succeed in my mission." Obi-Wan held his head up high, attempting to appear confident despite his misgivings. 

"Your mission was only to investigate, Obi-Wan, not chase the criminals across the galaxy." Obi-Wan's confidence wavered at the scolding words of the small Jedi. 

"Hmmm.... Confusion in you I sense," Yoda continued, "but not about the mission. Concerned about all you are missing, you are. Wondering about your purpose in life, aren't you?" 

Obi-Wan's furrowed brow was all the answer Yoda needed. How had the master seen through him so easily?, Obi wondered. 

"A job to do have you. Finish training Skywalker, you must. You have taken that responsibility, and your duty it is." 

"I know that, Master Yoda. I am fully aware of my responsibilities and will complete the task I have undertaken in training Anakin." Silence filled the air while Obi-Wan waited for Yoda to speak. 

"Hmmm....you are a good knight and a wise man, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Qui-Gon trained you well, he did. True to your word you will be. May the Force be with you," Yoda concluded. 

Obi-Wan ended the transmission and slumped back in his chair. After the conversation with Anakin and then Yoda, he was more confused than ever about his relationship with Sari and its possibilities. He knew he was obliged to complete Anakin's training, but how long would that take? Months? Years? What would happen in the meantime? 

He couldn't think about it anymore. His head was spinning with the possibilities and the impossibilities. Finally, he decided to try to get some sleep. Tomorrow, they would hopefully find the children safe and sound and then be on their way back to Teemar. Maybe then things would become a bit clearer concerning a certain beautiful young teacher and himself. At least he desperately hoped so. 

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	11. Chapter 11

Following Your Heart-- Chapter 11 

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Sari chuckled at herself as she slipped into her last clean outfit. It had been one of those purchases made on a whim that had hung untouched in her closet since the day she had brought it home. Now she didn't even remember what had made her throw it in her pack to begin with. The stretchy black pants fit more snugly than she was used to, and the royal blue, form fitting, nerf hide jacket zipped up the front--- but just barely. 

_"What in the world was I thinking?"_ she asked as she turned and studied herself in the mirror. She looked okay--- just not like a school teacher, which was her motivation for the purchase in the first place. She had wanted to feel sexy and spontaneous, but then never had the guts to put it on outside of her own bedroom. 

_"I guess it'll have to do,"_ she conceded. Then she crammed the last of her things back into her travel bag and headed to the door. 

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Obi-Wan was up early, as usual. He hadn't slept very soundly---- again... but he was getting used to that. Visions and thoughts of Sari had been invading his slumber since the first night they met. He had spent the morning double checking their supplies, charging blasters, and formulating some type of strategy, and now it was time for action. The ship was docking on the space station at that very moment. 

Obi walked out of his room and stood by Sari's door, hesitating to knock. After her cold behavior the previous day, he had absolutely no idea of what to expect today. Qui-Gon had always told him that women were unpredictable, but experiencing it first hand was all new to Obi-Wan Kenobi. 

Realizing it was now or never, Obi raised his hand to knock just as the door swished open. Both Sari and Obi-Wan jumped back in surprise at seeing the other in front of them. Sari clutched at her heart and tried to catch her breath. 

"You...scared me...to death!" she managed to get out. 

Obi-Wan simply stood in the doorway and stared speechless at the woman in front of him. Seeing her dressed in such a way sent a strange sensation shooting around the Jedi's body. He never thought he would use the word, but she was just plain... sexy! 

At his continued silence, Sari furrowed her brow and became self-conscious fidgeting with a few stray curls of her hair. "Is something wrong?" she asked. 

Obi-Wan opened his mouth to reply, but all that came out was a stutter. Then, when he did regain his voice, it cracked like a boy just hitting puberty. 

First a high pitched, "No," then after clearing his throat, a lower, "No... nothing's wrong. Are you ready to go?" Suddenly realizing that he wasn't staring at her face, he looked away and tried to hide his blush. 

"Yeah. I was just coming to get you," she replied with a knowing smirk. _'He was_ _checking me out!'_ she told herself. Maybe bringing the outfit hadn't been such a bad idea after all. She wanted it to be just as hard on him as it was being on her. Having such a good thing so close, yet so far away was killing her inside, and she didn't want to be the only one suffering. 

"All right then. Let's go." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

They exited their antiquated transport and made their way through the spaceport out into the Ankara Space Station. It was almost like a small city lined with flashy gambling establishments, two-bit pawn shops, greasy diners, and theaters advertising all sorts of seamy entertainment. Sari felt very out of place and found herself grabbing Obi-Wan's arm whenever a scary looking character would get too close or stare too long at her. Sensing her fear, the Jedi pulled her arm through his and offered up a reassuring smile. 

"Not a very glamorous place, is it?" he said. Sari just shook her head. "You'll be fine with me, Sari." Then he lightly rubbed her hand with his free one. 

One look at those twinkling blue eyes and charming dimples, and she was nothing but a melted mess of emotions all over again. He was everything she could ever hope for---- but he was already married ----- to his job as a Jedi. Silently, Sari cursed the fates. _What was the purpose of meeting the man of her dreams if it was_ _doomed to never work out?_ Destiny was cruel and merciless to do such a thing. 

They made their way to the 'park'--- a lame attempt at a natural environment that had been poorly tended. It was a large square area filled with trees and plants from various worlds, only most of the foliage was beginning to wilt and turn brown from neglect. Just on the other side was the 'Lucky Lady', a small cantina which was to serve as the meeting place with their contact--- one Deekoran Hunsu. 

Upon entering the 'park', Obi-Wan slowed to study some of the plant life. Shaking his head, he walked over to one of the trees and gently placed a hand on its peeling bark. "This is a shame," he said. "These trees are near death due to neglect. I can barely feel their life force. It's just a faint shimmer." Sari watched him as he moved from plant to plant with a sorrowful look on his face. He told her what each was, where it was from, and what its home world was like. 

"How do you know all of that?" she finally asked, her curiosity peaked. 

He hung his head and then snickered. "Before I was a padawan, I almost became a member of the agricultural corps." Sari shot him a confused look, and he hesitantly continued. "I almost wasn't chosen as a padawan to become a knight." 

"Really? That's surprising after all I've read about you and your accomplishments," Sari replied. 

"Well, when I was young I was very... headstrong and almost cost myself an apprenticeship. I could've ended up a farmer.... if it hadn't have been for Qui-Gon, my master." 

"You, a farmer?" Sari asked in disbelief. "I just can't imagine that!--- not that there's anything wrong with it, it just doesn't seem like something you would enjoy." 

"Enjoyment had nothing to do with it. It would have been my life whether I enjoyed it or not." Obi-Wan was suddenly very serious, so Sari said nothing more. 

Out of the corner of his eye, an approaching figure caught the Jedi's attention. A familiar face was headed their way, and it wasn't a friendly one. Obi-Wan remembered all too well their last meeting and knew the man would recognize them once he saw them. He had to think fast. It was too late to try and run or hide, so he did the only thing he could think of. 

Without warning, Obi-Wan pushed Sari back against a large tree and forced a kiss onto her mouth. At first she was stunned, but didn't offer much resistance as she willingly melted into him and kissed back. After peeking out of the corner of his eye, he loosened his grip on her arms and lips and pulled away. 

"What...was...that?" a breathless Sari questioned, not too sure of her balance. 

Obi-Wan turned her head so that she could clearly see the retreating form of Deek, the young man who had held her at gun point and shot Obi in the mountains only nights before. 

"Oh my gosh! It's him!," she declared. "The kid who shot you!" 

"Yes, it is him," Obi replied, "... and I think we just found our contact." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Deekoran Hunsu, Deek to his friends, strode confidently into the 'Lucky Lady' cantina and slid into an empty booth. He was quite proud of himself, for this was the first time Perrin had allowed him to work a deal entirely on his own. Usually, the dealers had to wait around for several days before a customer came into the picture. However, luck had smiled on Deek because he had barely been here a day and already a buyer had set up a meeting. 

Success here would surely guarantee him another promotion. Being younger and smaller than all of Perrin's other 'employees', caused Deek to develop quite an attitude. He had to be twice as tough as the others, or they would never take him seriously. He was a young man with a lot to prove......... and that made him dangerous. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"What are we going to do?" Sari asked as Deek disappeared into the cantina. Obi-Wan's brow was wrinkled in a frown. The serious look on his face told Sari he was devising a new plan at that very moment. Taking a deep breath, he spoke. 

"It does complicate matters. He'll surely recognize you if he sees you. On the other hand, he may not know me without my beard." A light bulb went off in Obi-Wan's mind, and he began taking off his cloak. 

"Here," he said as he wrapped it around Sari's shoulders. "If you wear this and keep the hood up, he'll never know." 

"Are you sure?" she asked as he straightened the coat around her neck. 

"No... but I AM sure that if you **_don't_** cover up, we'll get more attention than we'd like!" Obi glanced down at Sari's chest, then back up at her and gave her a lopsided grin. Her hand came up defensively to her bosom, and just as she was about to respond, Obi-Wan yanked the hood over her head. 

"Come on! Let's go!" 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

The smell of stale, smoky air and cheap liquor made Sari gag as they entered the 'Lucky Lady'. Since Obi-Wan's cloak was too long for her, she had to be sure to walk carefully. To make matters worse, the hood limited her field of vision, so she had to stay close behind the Jedi. Hidden under the cape with her was Obi's light saber, and she was finding it difficult to keep her hands off of it. The weapon terrified and fascinated her all at the same time. He had wanted to avoid giving his identity away if he could keep from it. 

Suddenly, he stopped and turned back to her. "There he is, in that corner booth. Just let me do the talking and keep that hood up." 

"Yes, Master," Sari replied jokingly with a roll of her eyes. Obi-Wan jerked to look back at her and then grinned. 

"I like the sound of that," he said with a wink. Then he spun back to the front and walked to the booth. 

For a brief second, Sari stood motionless._ 'Did he just flirt with me?'_, she asked herself. This man was so utterly confusing. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"Have we met before?" 

The question set Sari's defenses on red alert. If the young man recognized Obi-Wan, their entire plan would be for naught. Luckily, the Jedi was quick-witted, and with a slight wave of his hand, Deek suddenly forgot all about his question. 

"No, we haven't," Obi-Wan stated flatly. 

Sari exhaled, letting out the breath she had been holding since the man across the table had first cast a suspicious glance at Obi-Wan Kenobi. With what Sari was finding to be his usual grace under pressure, the Jedi knight had skillfully deflected a possible fatal blow to his mission. She wondered if all Force users had the same mind-altering abilities that he did. If so, it was no wonder that Jedi were feared and respected all across the galaxy. 

Obi-Wan had felt the sudden surge of fear rip through Sari's mind when Deek had asked his question. To calm her fear, he quickly placed his hand on her leg underneath the table, out of the boy's sight. At his touch, he could feel the tension begin to dissipate from her body. He had to keep this situation under control if he was to be successful. 

Deek continued to discuss conditions as Sari and Obi-Wan listened. The 'goods', as he kept referring to the children, were safely stationed on a nearby planet about three hours away by hyper space. Obi easily figured out which planet, even though the young man thought himself clever for not mentioning its name. They would need to charter a freighter, of course, in order to transport the 'goods' back to their home world, or wherever they might take the 'merchandise.' 

Sari felt herself sicken every time the boy spoke so casually about her children in such a derogatory manner. She wanted to jump across the table, grab him by the throat and 'teach' him some respect. However, the firm feel of Obi-Wan's hand on her leg kept her in check. She could also swear that he was somehow 'touching' her mind. Every time an angry thought entered in, a soothing flow would wash over her and the thought would be gone. The boy's continued arrogance caused this situation to repeat itself several times throughout the conversation. 

Obi-Wan kept noticing Deek's frequent curious glances at Sari's hooded form. The boy was obviously desperate to know who this mysterious figure was, but the Jedi would quickly divert the boy's attention back to the discussion when he became too focused on her. 

"Will we get the opportunity to inspect them before we commit to a purchase?" Obi-Wan asked. Deek snapped his attention back to the man in front of him. 

"Um... I'm sure we can work something out. But rest assured--- these specimens are in top condition." 

Sari felt a snarl curve her lips. True, she had known that people like this existed, but it had always seemed far removed from her personal life. Now, she was right in the middle of a horrible reality where children were sold like animals. 

Deek rose to shake Obi-Wan's hand and finalize the preliminary deal. He also handed over a small data disk containing the coordinates of the mystery planet. Then he threw a credit on the table and left the cantina. Obi-Wan slid into the seat opposite Sari. 

"That went well," he said. 

"Well?! Did you hear how he kept referring to my kids? He's nothing but... but scum... wretched scum," she responded. 

"Keep a hold on your emotions, Sari. I could feel your anger, and it could have betrayed us." Obi spoke to her like she was a child, and she hated it. 

"What are you saying? That I shouldn't be upset about the situation my students are in? I just shouldn't care? Easy for you to say when---." Sari stopped abruptly and looked away. 

"What? What were you going to say?" 

Slowly, she turned her gaze back to the Jedi. "I was going to say that it's easy for you to say when you have no connection to them." She knew her words were hurtful, and regretted them as soon as she spoke. 

"You're wrong, Sari. I do have a connection to them.... you." The gentle forgiving look in Obi-Wan's eyes made her feel even more guilty--- and more in love. 

She tried to change the subject. "What exactly were you doing to me while he was talking? It was almost like you were getting inside my mind." 

"I apologize for that. I shouldn't have done it without your consent, but I was afraid you might attack our dear little Deek if I didn't calm you down. It was a simple mind touch. I won't do it again." He was so sincere that it caught her off guard. 

"No... that's okay. In fact, it was a good thing you did it. I'm kind of ashamed to say this, but I had my hand on your saber at one point. I might have used it if it hadn't been for your hand on my leg holding me down." A guilty grin spread across Sari's lips and Obi-Wan chuckled. 

"You're something else," he muttered. 

"And what does that mean?" she asked. 

"It means that you are an amazing woman and you never cease to surprise me with your unpredictability." Sari hoped he couldn't see her blush under the hood. "Now, we need to see about a freighter." 

"Hey, handsome. Care for a drink?" 

The voice took both Sari and Obi-Wan by surprise. A woman had appeared at their table and was ogling the Jedi. Sari peered at her from under her hood and got an eyeful. The woman was probably a little younger than Sari, although she appeared to have much more 'mileage' than the teacher. Her long hair was bleached almost white and her face was painted with much more make-up than one person required. The woman's skin was tanned, and too much of it was showing, in Sari's opinion. Her low-cut halter top and tight fitting miniskirt had caught every man's eye in the cantina. Now she was focusing her attention on Obi-Wan Kenobi. 

She sat down next to him in the booth, and, Sari noted, if he hadn't scooted over quickly, she would have been right in his lap. _'No doubt that's where she wants to_ _be,'_ Sari thought to herself. 

"I'm Lorna," she said, smiling through a mouth full of perfectly white teeth. 'Caps, I bet,' Sari noted. "Who are you?" she asked poking a finger into Obi-Wan's chest and leaving it there to be followed by her whole hand which she then ran over his taut frame. 

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow at her boldness and carefully removed her hand. Clearing his throat, he answered. 

"I'm Ben. It's nice to meet you, Lorna, but my friend and I were just leaving." 

"Oh, well, that's too bad because I was hoping to get to know you a little better.... Ben." Lorna sidled up closer to Obi-Wan and he was stuck against the wall with no where to go. Sari felt her hand move to the light saber once again, but remembered to control her emotions. Instead she kicked the woman under the table. 

"Ouch!" Lorna exclaimed as she jumped back from Obi-Wan. 

"Oops! Sorry about that," Sari said lowering her voice. "It's time to go---Ben." 

"Yes, you're right," Obi added as he tried to stand and force Lorna out of the booth. "We have an appointment." Reluctantly, Lorna slid out of the seat and stood to let the Jedi up. 

"Well, then," she said in a breathy whisper, "maybe next time, Ben." Then she kissed her finger and touched it to the cleft in his chin. Sari's jealousy flared as she pushed through the girl to exit the scene. 

"I'm out of here," Obi heard her say as she stormed by. He quickly followed behind, a bit embarrassed and a bit amused at the same time. 

Sari walked around the building into a deserted alleyway, fuming with each step she took. Obi-Wan had to jog to keep up, and when he finally reached her, he grabbed her and spun her around. Gently, he lowered her hood and saw the jealous anger in the tenseness of her face. 

"Frowning doesn't become you. Now what's wrong?" He already knew, but some mischievous part of him wanted to see her reaction. Thrusting her chin in the air, she refused to give him the pleasure. 

"Wrong? I don't know what you mean. I just thought you were in a hurry to find a freighter and rescue twenty desperate children about to be sold into slavery---- NOT have a drink with some... some... space tramp!" She had tried, but couldn't hold her tongue. 

There it was. He grinned. "Are you..... jealous, Sari Zendar?" he asked as he tenderly lifted her chin with his strong hand. 

"Jealous?" she spat back indignantly. "Why would I be jealous?" 

"Oh, I don't know," Obi replied, moving closer to her. She tried to back up but found herself pinned against a wall. He braced one hand on the wall and used the other to push a few strands of Sari's hair away from her face. Then he leaned his face down within inches of hers. 

"The way you've been avoiding me lately, I was beginning to think that you didn't care. Do you?" His lips were so close to touching hers. All she would have to do was pucker just the tiniest little bit and she would feel his mouth on hers. Her heart was racing wildly, and she could feel his hard body beginning to press into her. 

Swallowing hard, she whispered, "Yeah, I care." That was all he needed to hear. His mouth claimed hers with a passion that had been penned up for too long. His hands wove their way inside her cloak and around her waist. The feel of her body was almost more than he could bear, and he forced himself to stop. Both pulled back, breathless. 

"Sari, I---," he began. 

"Yes?" she waited eagerly. Looking into her beautiful face, Obi pulled her into his embrace once again. 

"When you avoided me, I thought you had changed your mind about me--- that you didn't care anymore. I couldn't bear the thought. Sari, I... I have feelings for you--- feelings that I've never had for anyone before." 

_Was she dreaming? Or was he really saying what she so desperately hoped he was saying?_

__

"Do you really mean it?" she asked searching his deep blue eyes. A simple nod answered her question. "I feel the same way. I don't know what it is, but I am so crazy about you that it scares me to death. I... I don't want to think about what it will be like when you're gone." 

Obi-Wan dropped his arms and lowered his eyes to the ground. _Gone_.... Yes, eventually he would have to leave her---- or would he? All of the confusion was back again, whirling around in his mind. 

"I know you'll have to leave. There's no getting around it," Sari said. "I guess that's why I've been so distant. I figured it would be easier for both of us if we broke any ties before things got too complicated. But for me, it's already too late." She had placed a hand on his arm, and he looked back into her face... a face he was falling in love with. Yes, that's what this feeling had to be, he was sure now. He was falling in love with Sari, and there was no turning back. The Force couldn't help him with this one. 

"Sari, I think I--," Sari raised her hand to his mouth to stop him from continuing. 

"No! Don't say it because if you do, I'll never be able to let you out of my sight. The Jedi temple would just have to get along without you, so save yourself the trouble and don't ...... don't say it." 

And he didn't. Instead, he pressed his lips to hers once again, letting them speak the words he desperately wanted to say to her. With her lips, she spoke back, saying what his heart was longing to hear.... she felt the same. She was in love with him, too. 


	12. Chapter 12

Following Your Heart-- Chapter 12 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

It had only taken a little under an hour for Obi-Wan and Sari to find a space freighter to rent. Of course, it had nearly depleted all of the Jedi's credits, but it helped that he could pilot himself. There was no need to involve anyone else. 

Sari wrinkled her nose as they stood surveying their new acquisition in the hangar bay. 

"Are you sure this thing will fly?" she asked sarcastically. The small space ship had myriad scrapes and dents all along the hull, and the paint was peeling in more places than it was sticking. She couldn't help it. She started to laugh out loud. 

"This is just a hunk of junk!" she laughed. 

"We'll make it," Obi-Wan replied, silently trying to convince himself that he was right. 

After boarding and completing all the preliminary flight checks, they were ready to go. Following lift off, Obi plugged the disk into the ship's nav computer and pulled up the coordinates of their destination. 

"Melkior," he murmured. 

"I've only heard the name. I don't know anything else about it. Do you?" Sari asked from her place in the copilot's seat. 

"All I know is that they are typically closed to outsiders, and mired very deeply in their culture's traditions. I remember an old Jedi master mentioning their devotion to family above all else." 

"Do their traditions involve slavery?" 

Obi-Wan shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I guess we'll find out in a few hours." With that, he punched the hyper drive, hoping to the Force that it would work. Sari herself was holding her breath with her eyes shut and only opened them when she felt the ship surge forward pinning her to the back of the chair. 

Obi-Wan slowly let out his breath and slumped back in his seat. "Whew! I'm glad that worked," he admitted with a small grin. 

"Me, too!" 

After a few moments of silence, the two became aware that they were alone with nothing to do for the next three hours. Obi-Wan pretended to fidget with the controls, while Sari looked through her pack for the food she had picked up on the station. 

"Are you hungry?" she asked as she pulled a small bag out and handed it to him. He took it and thanked her. 

Again, an awkward silence filled the cockpit. Sari was the first to break it. 

"Would you tell me about your life? I mean, I don't know very much about you really. I'd kind of like to know who you are and how you became... yourself. Does that make sense?" she asked clumsily. She was typically very articulate, but around Obi-Wan, her tongue became tied and her brain regressed back to a silly fourteen year old. 

Obi-Wan shifted in his seat so that he could face her. "What would you like to know?" 

"Anything.... EVERYTHING!" she exclaimed. "Tell me about your childhood.... um... your master.... your adventures.... Anakin... whatever! I just want to know you." The soft smile on her face sent a tingle through his body. If she wanted a star he knew he would somehow get it for her. He'd do anything she wanted. 

Clearing his throat, he began. 

"Well, I've lived in the temple for as long as I can remember. My childhood was spent in training to become a padawan. Being a Jedi knight was all I ever wanted. However, I was somewhat of a hothead and that almost cost me my chance at knighthood. Master Yoda, from the council, arranged for Qui-Gon and myself to be on the same mission in hopes Qui-Gon would take me as his padawan." 

"Why wouldn't he want you?" Sari sincerely questioned. "I'll bet you were a model student." 

"Not exactly," he said with a mischievous grin. "Plus it didn't help matters that Qui-Gon had once had a padawan who had betrayed him and gone to the dark side, so he was very hesitant to take another." 

"The dark side? What do you mean by that?" 

"Let's see... Just as there is light and dark during a day, the Force also has a light side and a dark side. The dark side is evil and greedy, but can be quite seductive in the power it offers. Any Force user runs the risk of falling under its spell." 

A cold chill ran up Sari's spine. "Have you ever---?" 

"I think I came close once." Sari's eyes widened in surprise at his admission. "It happened about six years ago on the planet Naboo. Do you happen to remember the trade dispute there that was broadcast on the holonet?" Sari nodded. "Well, my master and I had been assigned that mission. We had discovered the presence of a Sith lord--- someone like a dark side Jedi. To make a long story short, we ended up in a duel with him." 

Obi-Wan suddenly stopped and looked out the viewpoint in silence. Sari could tell he was reliving the memory in his mind. "What happened?" she whispered. 

"He killed Qui-Gon, and then I killed him. I still remember the rage I felt as I swung my light saber right through that demon. It gave me power... a power that I know I could not control if ever unleashed again." 

Sari looked at him with new eyes. Here was a man taken from his family as an infant, forced to watch his only 'family' die right in front of his eyes. Then, he himself had been a killer, whether out of necessity or not. She couldn't imagine killing someone and then carrying the burden that knowledge would surely bring. She reached across and grabbed his hand. 

"I'm so sorry," she confessed. 

"Don't be. Everything happens for a reason. Because of all of that, I obtained Anakin as my padawan. He's been a handful at times, but still a blessing. I wouldn't have it any other way." 

The Jedi went on to tell her about some of his missions, both as a padawan and as a master. He told her about some of the friends he had made over the years, like Bant and Cerasi, Nield and many others. She was dumbfounded when he told her about Zonoma Sekot and its mysterious secrets he and Anakin had uncovered. Never before had he had such a rapt audience. He was enjoying sharing his life story with Sari. 

"Wow! You've certainly lived an event-filled life! Don't you ever think about slowing down for a while?" she asked innocently. The words stabbed through his heart like a dagger. For a few seconds, all he could do was stare at her. 

"I never used to," he answered. How could he tell her that ever since meeting her, slowing down was all he was thinking about? 

Something in his eyes told Sari what his words didn't say. Slowly, she stood up and moved right in front of him. He swiveled his chair so that she could step closer to him, and then slid his hands around her waist. She placed her hands on his shoulders and softly placed a tender kiss on his forehead. Obi-Wan pulled her down onto his lap and gazed into her eyes. 

"You are making me think about things I've never thought of before, Sari Zendar. I've always been too busy to worry about slowing down, but now... " His voice trailed off as he gently caressed her cheek and placed a kiss on her waiting lips. 

The kissing didn't stop there. The two continued with kiss after long, passionate kiss. They were in no hurry and just wanted to savor every touch as if it was the first and last. Breathless, they eventually pulled apart and leaned their foreheads against one another. 

"Mmmm," Sari moaned. "That was nice," she said with stars in her eyes. 

"I agree," Obi-Wan whispered with a smile. Then he began nibbling on her earlobe and made his way down her neck, reveling in the shivers of pleasure that were rippling through her body. 

"This... this is dangerous," she groaned, moving her neck so that he could get to the other side. 

"What is?" he asked in between nibbles. His warm breath on her skin made her head spin, and all she could think about was getting more of him. 

"Us... here... alone... doing this." She could sense the aroused state of her own body and was getting the feeling that he was having the same problem. 

"I think you're right," he said before moving his assault back to her mouth. "What do you think we should do about it?" 

Only one thought went through her mind. Suddenly, she stood up and looked boldly into his eyes. Then her hand moved to her jacket and began to slowly unzip it. Obi-Wan bounded out of his seat and stood only inches away watching her every move. 

"Sari, I--," but before he could finish, the alarm sounded loudly in the cockpit signaling their reentry from hyper space. Both were startled, to say the least, but had to laugh at their luck. 

"Sari, I hope you hold that thought," Obi-Wan said as he moved to work the controls. 

Sari chuckled inwardly at their situation and peered out the view port. There before them loomed the planet of Melkior and, she hoped, the lives of twenty children depending on her to save them from a life of slavery. Quickly, she regained her composure and tried to focus once again on the task at hand. If their mission was to work, she would have to forget about a tryst with Obi-Wan --- if only for the time being. 


	13. Chapter 13

**Following Your Heart-- Chapter 13**

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

****

**Exiting the spaceport hangar and entering the busy streets of Melkior, Sari and Obi-Wan could tell they had happened upon a festival celebration of some sort. Wall to wall people packed the main square, and Sari was beginning to feel somewhat claustrophobic.**

****

**"What's going on? I can't see a thing!" she yelled to Obi-Wan over the crowd as she struggled to maintain a white-knuckle grip on the back of his tunic. If they were separated, it might be hours before they found each other again.**

****

**Obi-Wan called back over his shoulder, "I can't see much either. I'm just following the crowd." Obi-Wan reached out with the Force to get a sense of the mob's mentality and found that although there was anxious excitement pulsating throughout the area, no malicious intent was present. It was as if everyone was desperately anticipating something, or someone, very important.**

****

**The Jedi stopped to peer over the hundreds of heads surrounding him, and Sari, still hidden under his hooded cloak, ran right into him.**

****

**"Oops! Sorry," she said. **

****

**"I think I see a clearing up ahead," he said as he turned around to face her. "I'm going to try and push through the crowd, so hang on tight."**

****

**Master Yoda might scoff at Obi's frivolous use of the Force, but the Jedi knight convinced himself that lightly urging the minds in front of him to move out of the way only helped to accomplish his mission sooner. Sari just held on for dear life as they wove their way through the living maze.**

****

**While they were moving, a sudden cheer rose up from the masses. Once it quieted, they could hear someone addressing the crowd, but couldn't make out what the speaker was actually saying. With every word, Obi-Wan could sense the excitement building to the boiling point.**

****

**Finally, Obi-Wan saw light at the end of the tunnel---- a clearing. As they broke free from the mob, he stopped, causing Sari to run into him once again.**

****

**"Sorry!" she apologized, only the Jedi wasn't paying any attention to her. Instead, he stood like a stone staring up at the sight in front of him. Sari's eyes followed his gaze upward, and her hood fell back off of her face. They were standing at the foot of a huge stage that was elaborately decorated with thousands upon thousands of flowers of every color imaginable. Gorgeous glitterstone sculptures were placed around the stage, and the light from the sun reflected off of the iridescent stone making them shimmer in a myriad of pastels. It was a breathtaking sight.**

****

**"There!" boomed a deep rich voice. It took a few seconds for Obi-Wan and Sari to realize it was directed at them, but they finally did and glanced at a lone figure up on the stage. Before they could react, a trio of ornately uniformed guards surrounded the twosome. Obi-Wan's hand reached for his light saber at his belt, but was disappointed when he remembered it was hidden under his cloak which was on Sari right now. He'd have to think of something else.**

****

**All eyes turned to them, and people struggled to tip toe just to catch a glimpse of the 'chosen ones.' **

****

**"There they are!" the voice sounded again pointing over to the Jedi and the teacher. "They will be our chosen couple for this most sacred of days!" Another cheer erupted from the crowd, and the guards smiled and motioned for Obi and Sari to move towards the stage. Terror flashed in Sari's eyes, but Obi-Wan grabbed her hand and gave her a reassuring nod. _'He has it all under control,'_ she thought.**

****

**_//What's happening?//_ Obi-Wan asked himself. There was no danger, he knew that, but there was something else at work here.... something.... elusive.**

****

**The guards led them up steps and onto the stage amid the roar of the audience. As they approached the man standing center stage, Sari noted his every detail.**

**He was quite tall and thin with a long white beard and a skinny nose. He was smiling a very kind smile and his eyes were twinkling with joy. Surely he meant them no harm.**

****

**Obi-Wan and Sari stopped next to him, and he held his hands up to quiet the crowd. Almost immediately, silence filled the square. At last, the man began speaking to the people.**

****

**"My fellow Melkorians, today is our most special of holy days. It is a time when we rejoice in the blessed gift we have been given..."**

****

**_//What could he possibly be talking about?//_ Obi-Wan wondered. _//What gift?//_**

****

**"... a time to resign from the cares of our old lives and celebrate the beginning of a new life... together." The man-- some religious figure of some sort, Obi guessed-- turned to face the couple at his side. "And so it is with great joy that I present to you this very special couple--" He leaned over to ask their names and then continued. "--Ben and Jaira, who are blessed to be chosen as our first couple of the year to partake of the sacred bonding ceremony." Another cheer sprung from the crowd, and Sari and Obi-Wan both turned to each other in surprise.**

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**_//Did he say BONDING?//_ Sari thought in shock.**

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**"Excuse me," Sari whispered to the man. "I think there's been some kind of mistake. We're not--"  
**

**"Nonsense!" the man interrupted while still waving and smiling to the cheering crowd. "It's normal for you to be a bit nervous on this of all days, but you'll make it through. And I'm sure your partner here will be quite gentle with you later--- right lad?" he asked Obi-Wan, catching him off guard.**

****

**"Oh... sure! Right!" he replied with a shrug. He didn't quite know what else to say.**

****

**The man raised his hands again, and the mob hushed. "Let us begin!" Then he motioned off-stage, and several women dressed in flowing white robes brought out several objects. One placed a wreath of delicate flowers on Sari's hair while the other placed a necklace of flowers around Obi-Wan. A third woman pulled out a long piece of silver string, thick like a cord.**

****

**"Hold out your wrists," the man commanded the twosome, and they obeyed, both still in shock and unsure of what was happening to them. The woman wrapped the string around Sari's left wrist and then Obi- Wan's, binding them together looking into one another's eyes.**

****

**The man began speaking again about Melkorian history and traditions. Sari tuned him out and focused her attention solely on the man in front of her-- Obi-Wan.**

****

**"What's going on?" she whispered. "What does he mean by 'bonding'?" **

****

**Obi-Wan nudged his head toward the audience, and Sari turned to look. All throughout the crowd, people were paired up and repeating the man's every word. The realization hit Sari like a ton of bricks.**

****

**"This is some mass marriage ceremony!" she stated.**

****

**"I think you're right," the Jedi replied calmly.**

****

**"Well, we've got to do something, don't you think?!"**

****

**"What are we supposed to do? I can't pull out my light saber. These people mean us no harm, and if I do anything now, our cover may be blown. No, it's best to just play along for now."**

****

**Sari looked at Obi-Wan in disbelief. They were being forced to 'bond', and he was just standing there doing nothing! Her throat began to tighten and her heart to race wildly. _What would she tell her parents?_ True, they would probably be happy just to see her finally take the plunge, but these weren't the exact circumstances she had had in mind when she thought about her marriage. **

****

**She looked back up at Obi-Wan's face. He was grinning a handsome lopsided grin and staring right into her eyes. Well..... maybe being bonded to him wouldn't be so bad after all.**

****

**They had to repeat some sacred Melkorian vows, and Obi-Wan was surprised to find that he said them sincerely with no regrets. Even though this situation was somewhat laughable, he believed that it was somehow destined to be.**

****

**The last woman stepped forward and handed Obi-Wan a small pouch which he took in his right hand.**

****

**"And so to complete this bond, Ben will offer Jaira a token of his love and commitment... which has been happily supplied by our city's master jeweler in honor of this occasion."**

****

**Sari held out her free hand and Obi-Wan emptied the pouch of its contents into her palm. She gasped as the sun hit the glitterstone pendant, and a rainbow of colors burst into every direction. Once again her eyes met his, and she almost blushed at what she saw there.**

****

**"Jaira," the man spoke, "will you accept this token and be bonded to this man, Ben, for the rest of your days together?"**

****

**The silence and suspense were hanging thickly in the crowd as everyone awaited her answer. A slight look of desperation even flashed briefly across Obi-Wan's face. He wondered what she would say.**

****

**Swallowing hard, she spoke.**

****

**"Yes," she muttered, and the crowd went wild. Obi-Wan released the breath he had been holding and smiled from ear to ear. One of the women came to release the cord around their wrists, and then Obi-Wan moved to place the necklace and pendant around Sari's neck. Everyone was clapping and shouting and jumping up and down. Marriage was serious business on Melkior.**

****

**The man leaned over to the couple and whispered in Obi-Wan's ear while casting Sari a mischievous grin. Obi-Wan chuckled, and the man stepped back.**

****

**"What?" she asked. "What did he say?" Obi-Wan put his hands around her waist and pulled her close.**

****

**"He said that I can kiss you now." And with that, Obi-Wan Kenobi pressed a warm and tender kiss to the lips of his new bride.**

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

****

**After the '_ceremony,'_ Obi-Wan and Sari were whisked away to the finest hotel in the city, compliments of the BCC--Bonding Celebration Committee. Sari hadn't said a word since the 'kiss', and Obi-Wan was getting a little nervous about her reaction.**

****

**_//What is she thinking?//_ he asked himself. True, he could perform a mind touch, but he had told her he wouldn't do that again after the incident on Ankara. So then he would have to suffer through like every other human male on his wedding night, wondering if she would really accept the situation they now found themselves in.**

****

**_//Wedding night!//_ The realization hit him all at once like a zap from a training saber. Maybe that's why she had been so quiet. He found himself fretting over what was to come and knew she was probably thinking the same thing. He had absolutely no idea of what to say or do once they were alone.**

****

**The friendly guards flanking the couple stopped in front of two huge ornate wooden doors.**

****

**"Here you go!" one of the men offered with a grin and a wink. "Your very own luxury bonding suite. The best Melkior has to offer." **

****

**Sari felt her face heat up instantly and dared not look at Obi-Wan. He shyly thanked the men and accepted the key and the pats on the back they gave in return. One of the other men leaned close to the Jedi and whispered, but still Sari could hear every word.**

****

**"By the looks of her, I don't think you'll be getting much sleep tonight, buddy, if you know what I mean!"**

****

**It took a few seconds for Obi-Wan to grasp the actual meaning of the man's word's, but once he did, he felt himself freeze in terror. He glanced at Sari out of the corner of his eye and saw that she was just as embarrassed as he was.**

****

**_//How rude!//_ she thought. Part of her almost snapped back at the jerk, but the rest of her was still too petrified about being alone with Obi-Wan.**

****

**Finally the men turned and left, chuckling down the hall, no doubt sharing more snide remarks, Sari thought to herself. Once they turned the corner, the 'newlyweds' were alone in the hallway. A few moments of awkward silence passed before Sari got up the nerve to speak.**

****

**"Well... are we going in? Maybe we can decide what to do next," she offered looking up at her new 'husband' with her big blue eyes. Her beauty left him speechless. "Obi-Wan? Are you in there?" she teased as she waved a hand in front of his face. He blinked and then moved to unlock the door. **

****

**Swinging open the doors, they were stunned by the elegance of the room. **

****

**"Wow!" Sari exclaimed.**

****

**At the center was a huge round bed covered in plush white pillows and blankets, with a sheer white curtain draping down from the ceiling. The twosome noticed it at the same time and glanced at each other offering sheepish grins. Beautiful glitterstone statues lined the walls, sparkling from the candles which were placed all over the room, flickering their mystical light and creating an ethereal ambiance.**

****

**Off to one side was a small round dining table filled with all sorts of delicacies. Obi-Wan's stomach grumbled as he realized they hadn't eaten since much earlier in the day. He made his way to the table.**

****

**"I'm famished! How about you?"**

****

**"Yes!-- Yes, I am," Sari responded, relieved that his attention was turned away from the large bed for the time being. She undid the cloak and tossed it onto a chair, then walked over to the table and began stuffing her face with an assortment of goodies. She was so hungry! At first she didn't even pay attention to what she was eating, but then she noticed something familiar.**

****

**"Are these amora fruits?" she asked, holding up one of the small round crimson fruits in front of her and examining it closely. Obi-Wan stopped chewing and looked at the fruit.**

****

**"Yes, I believe so," he said nonchalantly before continuing his attack on the treats stacked on the table.**

****

**Sari gulped and slowly placed the fruit back on its plate. Did he know about amora fruit? It was common on Teemar, but only used on special occasions.... as an aphrodisiac. He noted her sudden silence and looked at her questioningly.**

****

**"What is it?" **

****

**Had he eaten any of the fruits? She had eaten ten, at least, so it wouldn't be long before they took effect. She had only eaten them once before, when she was just a teenager, and then it had only been two. But now--- TEN?! Maybe she should just lock herself in the refresher until the morning. Fifteen minutes is how long she figured she had before...... before all of her hormones broke loose.**

****

**"Sari, what's wrong?" Now he was getting a little concerned.**

****

**"Did you eat any of those?" she asked pointing to the amora fruits with a trembling finger.**

****

**"Um... no, I don't think so," he answered taking her shaking hand into his. "Are you okay?"**

****

**"Uh, right now I am, but in about fifteen minutes.... I don't know."**

****

**"What are you talking about? Is the fruit bad? Are you going to be sick?"**

****

**She giggled nervously. "You have no idea!" All of this cryptic talk was confusing the Jedi.**

****

**Sari slowly slid her hand out of his even though the warm strength of his touch was starting to speed her heart rate. "I think I need to use the refresher," she said. _//Whoa! He is so handsome!//_ she thought as she turned to go to the refresher. _//Maybe fifteen minutes was a bit of an overestimate//_ she realized and then ran the remainder of the way, locking the door shut behind her.**

****

**A completely bewildered Obi-Wan Kenobi stood, mouth agape, staring at the refresher door. Qui-Gon had been right. The ways of a woman made absolutely no sense.**

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Yes, my lord?" Gustaf Perrin asked as he bowed before the shadowy figure displayed on the holoprojector in front of him.**

****

**There were only two people in the galaxy that he was willing to submit to. His very strict disciplinarian father was one, and this dark, hooded man was the other. The man exuded an awesome evilness that demanded obedience--- or else. Perrin had not lived this long by being stupid. He never wanted to find out what exactly the _'or else' _might be.**

****

**"Have you disposed of the alien scum?" The contempt for non-human lives was heavy in the lord's cackling voice.**

****

**"We are scheduled to make a sale and delivery very soon, my lord."**

****

**"See to it that the wretches are sold by tomorrow. If not, then eliminate them---- for good. The fewer of their kind we have in this galaxy, the better for humans everywhere."**

****

**"Yes, my lord. As you wish," Perrin replied. The holo faded out and the man was gone. **

****

**Perrin shook his head and pursed his lips. If the sale fell through and he had to 'eliminate' the children, he would lose out on a huge profit. Uneasiness settled in his stomach. Should he have trusted Deek, a man so young and inexperienced, to set this deal up on his own? Would the buyer show? The scheduled delivery time had already passed. It was now night on Melkior. The children were crammed securely into the abandoned warehouse, but if the local authorities caught wind of this operation, things could get nasty. He'd give it until noon tomorrow, and then...... he'd be rid of the brats one way or another.**

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

****

**Obi-Wan had gone back to eating several minutes after Sari's hasty departure to the refresher. He assumed it was perhaps some type of female problem that got her so upset. After examining one of the fruits she had gotten so worked up about and finding no faults with it, he ruled out food poisoning. No, it had to be nerves or the like, he was sure of it.**

****

**Inside the refresher, Sari was contemplating her current situation. How had she gotten here, in this mess, to begin with? A little over a week ago, her life had been 'normal' and tame. Teach all week, plan and grade all weekend.... nice and simple-- just as she liked it. Order and predictability were her steadies.**

****

**However, now her life had been totally turned upside down, right side up, and then upside down again. Her students were kidnapped and soon to be sold into a life of slavery. She had met a Jedi knight, fallen head over heels for him, and now here she was...... bonded to him for life! To top it all off, the amora fruits were working in high gear. Her hormones were running rampant, yearning to bust loose on the man in the next room, but she couldn't let it happen. Not now. Not this way.**

****

**It was all too much.**

****

**Obi-Wan's keen hearing instantly heard the muffled sobs coming from the refresher. If there was one thing he couldn't bear, it was a woman crying. He walked quietly over to the door and placed a hand on it.**

****

**"Sari, are you okay in there?" he asked sincerely.**

****

**_//Oh, that voice!//_ Sari thought. _//Down, girl!//_ she ordered. Even though she had been attracted to Obi-Wan since day one, she couldn't be sure that the feelings she was experiencing right now were genuine or brought on by the fruit. Sniffling, she tried to recompose herself before answering.**

****

**"Yeah," (sniff, sniff), "I'm all right," she replied softly.**

****

**"Is there anything I can do to help?" came his next query.**

****

**_//If you only knew!//_ she chuckled over her tears. She could think of plenty he could do, but in the morning, she'd be so ashamed of herself.**

****

**"No, I don't think so."**

****

**_//Why do people always try to act like nothing is wrong when it's so obvious that_ _the contrary is true?//_ the Jedi asked himself.**

****

**"Sari, I can hear you crying, and you've been in there for over fifteen minutes. I'm worried about you. Why don't you come out and we can talk about it, whatever it is." He was starting to think that maybe he should have whipped out his lightsaber and carved a path for them out of that ceremony. She didn't seem to be warming to the idea of the whole bonding thing.**

****

**_Bonded?!_ He had never thought about marriage before, and now within a week of meeting Sari, they were forever joined together. Needless to say, his life had taken quite an unexpected turn.**

****

**"I don't think that's a good idea," Sari said from the other side of the door.**

****

**She was being very frustrating.**

****

**"So, are you going to stay in there forever then?" he asked with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. Sari could tell he was getting a little angry, and that made her feel guilty. He really had done so much for her and the children. He was wonderful. But did he really care about her?--- especially enough to be bonded? Or was he just out to complete a mission no matter what?**

****

**The thoughts of him and the children overwhelmed her, and she began to cry again.**

****

**"No! I am not going to stay in here forever," she snapped in response. "But if I come out there right now, we might both be sorry."**

****

**"What are you talking about? You're not making any sense at all."**

****

**Through her tears, Sari decided to attempt an explanation of her behavior.**

****

**"Do you know what amora fruits do to people? They act as an..... aphrodisiac. And I ate about a dozen of them!" (more tears)**

****

**_An aphrodisiac?_ Realization slowly dawned on the Jedi.**

****

**"So, let me get this straight--- You locked yourself in the refresher because you're afraid of me?" he asked.**

****

**"No!.... because of ME, or rather what I might do to you." Even though her voice trailed off at the end, he had no trouble catching the meaning.**

****

**"Oh!"**

****

**"Not only that, but the kids---- who knows what is happening to them as we sit here in this luxurious room eating bon-bons! We're wasting time... time we don't have."**

****

**She was right. They had gotten sidetracked, much to his shame. The children's rescue was the purpose of this mission, and continuing down this current path would not accomplish that mission. He had to refocus.**

****

**But first---**

****

**With a wave of his hand, the refresher door slid open to reveal a surprised Sari Zendar huddled in the middle of the floor. Her eyes were wide with astonishment, and the man crouched down beside her enveloping her in his strong arms. She nestled into the warmth of his chest and felt the release of her stress and hormones. As she sobbed for the next few minutes, Obi-Wan gently rubbed her hair, placing sweet kisses on her head and whispering reassuring words.**

****

**"You're right. We do have to take care of the children right now. But it's going to be okay, Sari. I promise."**

****

**Even though she had the slight urge to push him down on the floor and kiss him until her lips fell off, she was enjoying just being in his comforting embrace even more. She could definitely get used to this!**

****

**"Let's get cleaned up, and then we'll be off to find those kids of yours. I just need to get a few things together, and then we'll be good to go. All right?" he asked as she pulled away and looked into his face.**

****

**"You're an angel, Obi-Wan Kenobi, " she said with admiration in her big blue eyes.**

****

**"No, not me," he replied, a little embarrassed by her comment. "An angel wouldn't be wondering what it would be like to pop a few more of those fruits and try out that bed!" A roguish grin spread across his face, and he shot her a sly wink before he stood up and offered his hand in assistance. She accepted and replied with her own flirtatious comment.**

****

**"Jedi Kenobi, if only you knew how close you came to getting your wish!" Then she reached up on her tip toes to place a quick kiss on his cheek, but his Jedi reflexes alerted him to her intent, and he turned and caught her lips on his. After the kiss ended, Sari was a bit wobbly and almost fell over. Obi-Wan caught her in his arms and gazed deep into her eyes.**

****

**"I'll take a rain check, Miss Zen--- I mean, _Mrs. Kenobi_." One last grin and he carefully let her go so that he could gather the supplies they would need. Tonight was going to be a long night.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Following Your Heart-- Chapter 14**

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

****

**_//Focus, Obi-Wan.//_ he said to himself for the hundredth time. He continued to pack the supply bag and tried to ignore Sari who was staring intently at him from the bed. **

****

**_//If she only knew what she does to me with those eyes!//_ He knew that if he didn't focus on the bag, they might never make it out of the hotel room.**

**Like Anakin had said, they may be Jedi, but they were also still human, and right now Obi-Wan was feeling more human than he ever had before.**

****

**Sari chuckled in amusement as she watched Obi-Wan check the bag, double-check, and then double-check it yet again. _Was he nervous?,_ she wondered. She didn't think Jedi were ever nervous about anything. She continued to sit and admire him from her comfortable place on the big white bed. She wasn't sure if it was due to the remaining influence of the fruit or just her natural powerful attraction to him, but she studied his every move and detail of his strong lean form. He caught her looking out of the corner of his eye, and she saw his face blush red.**

****

**"I... I just want to be completely prepared. I'm not quite sure what we'll run into."**

**He was certain she probably thought him a bit daft, but he couldn't worry about that right now. He was always one to be safe instead of sorry. Being prepared for the unexpected was a typical Jedi trait, but he was taking it to new extremes.**

****

**It wasn't all because of the suggestively inviting way she was lounging on the bed that made him behave this way. A short time before, a distant sense of imminent danger had come upon him, and unlike before, this time he would listen to the Force and stay alert.**

****

**"Maybe you should stay--"**

****

**"Not a chance!" she interrupted before he could even finish his sentence. Then she jumped up to face him. "I'm going, and that's final!"**

****

**Obi-Wan held up his hands in self defense. "Okay! Okay! I only want you to be safe."**

****

**At his admission of concern, she softened a little. "I know, and I appreciate your concern, but you know how I feel about these kids." She lowered her eyes and then lifted them up to his as she ran her hand slowly up his chest and over his shoulder. _ //Wow! Does he feel good or what!//_ she asked herself, still fighting off the amora's effects. He breathed in a quick breath, hastily activated a Jedi calming technique, and then gently grabbed her hand.**

****

**"Are you... ready... to go?" he asked with some degree of difficulty. Sari offered a tiny nod and a very large sigh before turning to grab her bag. **

****

**Inside was one of the blasters Obi-Wan had procured on the flight to Ankara. The thought that she might have to use it, sobered her in a hurry. The children were all that mattered right now. **

****

**Obi-Wan would get his later.**

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

**As Obi-Wan and Sari made their way through the dark and surprisingly deserted streets of the city, they continued to go over all of the parts to their plan. Sari wanted to be sure she knew exactly what to do once the action started. Even after traveling for twenty or more minutes, they still had not encountered a single soul. Of course it was getting late into the night, but even cafes and night clubs appeared to be closed down.**

****

**"What's going on around here?" Sari asked her companion. "It's kind of creepy!"**

****

**Just then, as if from out of nowhere, an old man, apparently accustomed to life on the streets, appeared on a street corner. Unable to resist, Sari had to ask.**

****

**"Excuse me," she said. The man turned to face her, as surprised to see someone as they were. "Could you tell me where everyone is? Why is it so deserted?"**

****

**For a moment, the man looked at her as if she was simply teasing him. When he realized she was serious, he burst out with laughter. Sari felt embarrassed and cast a sideways glance at Obi-Wan. By the look on his face, he didn't get the joke either.**

****

**"You're kidding, right?" the man finally managed to say. They both shook their heads 'no', and the man laughed again, holding his side from the pain. "Everyone is INSIDE...... It IS 'bonding' night, you know!"**

****

**"Oh!" Sari replied, suddenly realizing the implications. _ //Sorry I asked!//_ she said to herself. The man crossed the street, his uproarious laughter still sounding a block away.**

****

**Obi-Wan was the first to speak.**

****

**"This might work in our favor," he said seriously. Sari looked at him like he was nuts.**

****

**"Whatever you say. I'm just following your lead, Jedi." He grinned at her, then grabbed her hand and started walking again.**

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

**"That's the place over there." Obi-Wan had stopped across from a large warehouse that looked like it hadn't seen active duty for quite some time. From their spot, they were safely hidden from view of the four guards monitoring the front entrance.**

****

**Obi-Wan closed his eyes and focused the Force in a search for the presence of twenty little minds.**

****

**"They're in there all right." However, he didn't want to tell Sari that he sensed their fear and despair or that he could also sense the malicious intent of the others inside. He would have to act quickly because the Force was telling him they didn't have much time.**

****

**"Let's check the back door," he suggested. Carefully, they made their way around the warehouse and found only two guards stationed at the back. Despite the apparent advantage of less men, Obi-Wan and Sari also had the benefit of being perched atop a slight hill looking down at the entrance.**

****

**"Wait here. I'll be right back," he said as he unclipped his light saber and stood to go. Sari grabbed the edge of his tunic and he turned back to determine the problem.**

****

**"Be careful," she whispered with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "I don't want to be a widow before I'm even a wife!"**

****

**He chuckled and then leaned down to kiss her once more before taking off. "I'll be careful. I promise." Then Obi-Wan spun around and faded into the shadow of night.**

****

**The brisk night air began to chill Sari to the bone, so she snuggled deeply into his cloak for warmth. All sorts of thoughts began to swim around in her mind. She remembered the first time she had seen Obi-Wan. Even though it had only been a matter of days, she felt like they had always known each other--- like he was a part of her.**

****

**He had strode confidently into the lobby, his black cape swishing behind him as he moved gracefully towards her. Then he had pulled back his hood revealing his handsome, yet gentle face. Instantly she had been attracted to him, but when he spoke to her for the first time, that smooth, melodious voice had immediately intoxicated her heart and forever sealed his name there.**

****

**Next her thoughts wandered to a replay of every single one of their kisses, so vivid that she could almost still feel the touch of his lips on hers, the gentleness of his hands, the warmth of his body, the clean, masculine scent of him whenever he was close by. Never had a man made her lose control of all of her senses like Obi-Wan Kenobi.**

****

**"Ahhh....," she sighed in satisfaction. The way she felt about him was exhilarating. However, eventually she realized that he would have to leave for Coruscant sooner or later--- even if they were bonded now. He would probably want to get a speedy annulment as soon as the mission was over. She thought that he perhaps had deeper feelings for her, but his vow as a Jedi would no doubt be stronger than his vows to her. That had just been an act---- right?**

****

**Like a wet blanket, reality stuck its head in where it wasn't wanted--- AGAIN. Suddenly, she felt embarrassed and ashamed at how close she had come to... 'giving in' to her pleasure-driven 'id' on the transport and in the hotel room. If it hadn't been for the warning bell and the refresher door, who knew what she might have done?!........... //Oh, you know!// Sari admitted to herself. //You know!//**

****

**The loud burst of a blaster jerked Sari out of her moment of inner reflection. Her whole body jumped as another shot sounded immediately. Peering out from her hiding place, she saw Obi-Wan as he easily deflected yet another blast before striking down the two guards. The sizzle of his saber sent a shiver down her spine. Obi-Wan would only kill in defense, but still...... the loss of a life ripped at her heart. Unconsciously, she moved her hand to the blaster at her side. Would she be able to use it if push came to shove? She would cross that bridge when she came to it.**

****

**Obi-Wan signaled for her to join him, so she raised the hood back over her head and walked down to meet the Jedi. He caught the pained look that crossed Sari's face as she tip-toed around the fallen men.**

****

**"I had no other choice," Obi tried to assure her as well as himself. Ending anther life had never been something he took lightly.**

****

**"I know," she replied knowingly. "I'm just not used to this kind of thing."**

****

**Obi-Wan knew it wouldn't be too long before the men in front figured out that their cohorts were not manning their post. He was first to enter the dark warehouse. Using the Force, he could tell that no one else was close by, but he definitely felt several others elsewhere in the building besides the children.**

****

**Terror was slowly working its way into Sari's mind as the seriousness of the situation suddenly dawned on her.**

****

**"Explain to me again why we didn't just meet with these guys face to face and buy the kids back like we were slavers?--- without all of this sneaking around." She kept looking over her shoulder waiting to be captured at any moment. Obi-Wan, sensing her fear, held her hand tightly as he continued on.**

****

**"For one, I only needed to find out where they were keeping the children. I never intended to meet with the kidnappers again. Plus...." He paused for a moment.**

****

**"Plus, what?" she asked.**

****

**"Plus, I don't have any more money left," he admitted sheepishly.**

****

**"Well then, the back door will have to do!"**

****

**They continued down a dimly lit corridor until he stopped in front of a large metal door.**

****

**"There. The children are in there," he stated confidently. Sari placed her hand on the door as if it were fragile.**

****

**"Are you sure?" she asked, already knowing the answer. "How do we get in?" Frantically, she began searching for some way to get inside. Obi-Wan carefully moved her aside.**

****

**"Here. Allow me." He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and then waved his hand across the door. Sari's eyes widened in amazement as she heard a lock click. Obi-Wan gently touched the door and it easily swung open. The room was dark and cold, and Sari couldn't see a thing. But then she heard a sniffle..... then a few whispers. Obi-Wan pulled the door almost shut behind them as they stepped inside. Quickly, he found a light switch and flipped it. **

****

**Sari gasped when the light revealed the frightened faces of her young students huddled together in the corner of the room. Slowly, the children's eyes became accustomed to the light and they recognized their teacher.**

****

**"Miss Zendar?" Aido, the Rodian boy, asked.**

****

**"Yes! It's me!" Sari nodded her head vigorously and tears began to fill her eyes. Several of the children jumped up and ran to hug her, and she squeezed them so tightly, not ever wanting to let them go again.**

**"Jedi Kenobi and I are going to get you out of here." Soon, they were all huddled around their teacher, many sobbing out of relief, fear, happiness.**

****

**Obi-Wan watched in awe. She was such an amazing woman, capable of so much love for every single one of the children entrusted to her. And she took that responsibility seriously, which was something he admired. He counted himself lucky to simply know her.**

****

**"Sari," he called. She glanced up at him, wiping her eyes as she stood. He pulled her aside and began to whisper.**

****

**"I'm going to see if our route is still clear before we start moving them. You need to explain the plan to them and emphasize how important it is that they stay with us and keep quiet. All right?" She nodded in agreement, and in that instant something passed between them. They were a true team.... forever linked to one another no matter what else happened. Obi-Wan grabbed her hand and placed a chivalrous kiss there before he turned and left the room. **

****

**Sari quietly pulled the door back after he had left, then began the task of preparing the students for this life or death lesson.**

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

****

**The two men walked casually down the corridor, discussing how they would spend their share of the profits from the latest delivery.**

****

**"Well, I heard Perrin earlier talkin' to the big boss, and we might not sell this batch after all. If this guy that Deek supposedly set up doesn't show in few hours, we're going to have to get rid of them some other way-- if you catch my meaning." **

****

**The second man stopped and stared at his partner. "Do you really think we'll have to..... kill them?" He liked the income his career afforded him, but he had never quite gotten used to the ugliness that was sometimes involved.**

****

**"You're kiddin', right?" the first man asked. "It's not like you'd be killing a real person or anything like that. These kids aren't human."**

****

**The second man looked away in contemplation, but didn't want to appear weak in front of his colleague, and quickly replied. "I know.... I know." The two continued down the hall and around corners until they reached their destination.**

****

**"I'm just going to check the lock and then we're done for the night," the second man stated as he laid his hand on the large metal door in front of him. It moved as soon as his hand touched it, and the man jerked back in surprise. Then he noticed a light from inside the room and glanced back at his friend without muttering a word. Slowly, he pushed the door open and was shocked to see an unexpected hooded figure bent down in the middle of the captive children.**

****

**"What the--?" the first man said loudly as he entered behind the other.**

****

**At the sound of his voice, the children and the intruder glanced up from their places across the room. A few of them screamed and some began to cry.**

****

**"Miss Zendar, what'll we do?!"**

****

**The second man's eyes widened in absolute shock as the figure stood and pulled back the hood revealing a face he thought he'd never see again.**

****

**"Sari?" he asked in disbelief.**

****

**"Hello, Jake," she stated flatly as her hand, concealed under Obi-Wan's borrowed cloak, moved to the blaster she had hoped to never use.**

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Obi-Wan Kenobi had reached the back entrance several minutes later and found it was still unguarded. The guards he had taken care of earlier remained motionless on the ground outside and no others could be heard. He stepped outside and took a few more minutes to survey their escape route. It was going to come in handy that no one was out tonight to witness their escape. He smiled as he remembered telling Sari that bonding night might work in their favor.**

****

**//Maybe this is going to be an easy rescue after all,// he thought to himself as he took one last look around. Just then he sensed a shot of sudden terror coming from the children and Sari. Something was wrong.**

****

**He took off at a dead run back through the warehouse. //I HAVE to make it to them in time!// he kept telling himself. He would not let himself think of any other option.**

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

**"Sari? How did you--? I thought you were--"**

****

**"Dead?" she answered for him. Never had she hated someone... until Jaik Rafe.**

**Obi-Wan would probably say her feelings were bordering on the dark side, but right now she didn't care. She just wanted to keep the children from being hurt, and if that called for her to blow Jaik's head off, then so be it. **

****

**Her finger lightly brushed the trigger of the blaster as she stood steadfast, staring Jaik down.**

****

**"Well, I'm not dead, and I'm here to take the kids back home."**

****

**Jaik was still speechless, so his partner spoke.... or rather laughed first.**

****

**"Yeah, lady! You and what army? You're not takin' these kids anywhere, sweetheart." Then he lifted his own blaster and aimed it at Sari amid twenty gasps coming from the floor.**

****

**"No!" Jaik yelled as he pushed the man's blaster toward the floor and away from the young teacher. "I'll take care of this. Go and get more help." At first, the man was uncertain if he should leave, but another "Go on!" from Jaik convinced him it was okay.**

****

**The children had all scooted behind Sari and were unsure of what to expect next. This man they had all once trusted was now an enemy and threatening the one person that could save them. All they could do was watch, frozen in terror.**

****

**"Sari, you shouldn't have come here," Jaik said as he began to approach her while keeping his blaster ready at his side. Sari's eyes kept moving from his face to his blaster and back again, wondering how this was all going to play out.**

****

**"Although, I am glad to see you're still alive. I didn't really mean to shoot you, you know. You just left me no choice."**

****

**"No choice?" Sari asked, trying to contain her temper at his impertinence. "You've had a choice since day one, Jaik. You just made the wrong one."**

****

**A brief look of regret flashed across his face, and he raised his blaster and pointed it straight at her. "I really like you, Sari. In any other circumstance, you're a woman I could see myself with. But now, you're just getting in the way of things." He paused for a moment and then continued. "How did you get here anyway?"**

****

**Sari chuckled nervously. "I walked." She was amazed at her own reckless courage in the face of danger.**

****

**Jaik chuckled too, but quickly composed himself. "Yeah, well, I'm going to have to figure out what to do with you now."**

****

**Sari was on the verge of pulling out her blaster when Jaik's partner returned with several others in tow. Realizing she was outnumbered for the time being, she gave up the notion of blasting Jaik into oblivion and started thinking about how to stay alive.**

****

**A very tall and militaristic man entered the room with a look of complete arrogance on his face. Sari could tell he was someone of importance by the way he carried himself and by the way the other men seemed to defer to him.**

****

**"Well, well, well," he began, studying Sari closely. "What have we here? An intruder, and a very pretty one at that, I might say." He had walked to within inches of her, and she could smell his potent cologne. The few hairs he had left on his head were neatly groomed and his long hooked nose reminded her of a common predatory bird back on Teemar. The cold look in his eyes gave her chills up and down her spine.**

****

**"How did you manage to find us, my dear? And surely you are not alone. Where are the others you came with?" He called back an order over his shoulder.**

**"Kreeg, go check the back entrance."**

****

**Sari remained silent and the man became irritated quickly. "I believe I asked you a question, and I do expect an answer. Where are the others?"**

****

**"There are no others," she finally answered as firmly as she could without giving away how scared she actually felt.**

****

**"Don't play games with me, girl. Well, no matter. Kreeg will find them soon enough and this little rescue attempt will be put to rest."**

****

**Sari's humanity refused to be squelched by fear. "What you're doing with these children is wrong! They're not animals or objects..... they're people just like you.... well, not exactly like YOU," she added. "You can't just sell them like property!"**

****

**The man, Perrin, slowly nodded his head as he held his chin in his hand. "You know, you're right. I can't just sell them like property." Sari held her chin up, proud of her apparent accomplishment of reason. "No, I can't sell them.... so I'm just going to have to kill them."**

****

**"What?!" Sari screamed, wanting to believe this was all just a dream.**

****

**"Yes, men, kill them---- and her. Then ready our ship to leave within the hour. I've had enough of Melkior to last me for quite some time."**


	15. Chapter 15

Following Your Heart-- Chapter 15 

* Thanks for sticking with me this far. :) 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Obi-Wan ran back through the maze of corridors trying desperately to get back to Sari and the children. He continued to sense their fear and also the arrival of several more dangerous beings. _Why had he allowed her to come?_ If only he had been more insistent that she stay behind, then..... then.... he never would have gotten so close to her and now be so terrified of losing her. 

Coming up on the last corner before the room where the children were, Obi-Wan was focused enough to sense someone approaching from the opposite direction. He stopped and took a deep breath before peeking around the corner. As he did, a blaster shot whizzed by his face, missing it by mere inches. He retreated behind the corner again and ignited his light saber, ready for his attacker. Taking one more deep breath, he jumped out into the middle of the hallway only several yards from the other man. Kreeg, surprised to see Obi-Wan, stopped abruptly while trying to get off another shot. Once he fired, he was stunned to see the Jedi deflect every single shot he sent that way. 

The snarl on Obi-Wan's lips assured Kreeg that this man was not playing games. Slowly and confidently, the Jedi began to walk towards the other man, his light saber continuing to protect him from the blaster assault. 

"You'll not succeed, so you may as well surrender," Obi-Wan stated. He could see that Kreeg was weighing his options, but finally the man raised his blaster in one last vain attempt to hit Obi-Wan. Now close enough, Obi-Wan swung his saber in one swift stroke, cleanly separating from Kreeg's arm the blast gun along with the hand that held it. Kreeg screamed in indescribable agony, gripping the stub of his wrist before passing out in shock. Obi-Wan checked the man's pulse and then stepped over him, continuing on to where Sari waited. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

The blaster shots and terrifying scream jolted everyone in the room. All of the men, Perrin included, turned to the door and then each other, the questions evident in their eyes. 

Sari had no questions. She knew that Obi-Wan was on the way. 

Perrin directed the other three men to go find out the source of the sounds----- immediately. Like any other brainless lackeys, they followed orders without question. Jaik turned to Sari, then moved quickly to grab her arm. 

"It's him, isn't it?" he asked her. Perrin overheard the question and became curious himself. 

"Who?" he asked. 

"The Jedi. It's him, isn't it?" he asked her again. 

Smugly, Sari grinned at both men before answering. "You'll find out soon enough." 

"A Jedi? Here?" Perrin asked. He knew now that he had to get out as soon as possible. He couldn't afford to run into a Jedi. Twenty alien children were not worth that much trouble. There were plenty more where they came from. "Take care of her and the children, Rafe. Get rid of them now. Then join me at the ship. We leave in ten minutes." 

Perrin hastily fled the room leaving Sari and the children guarded only by Jaik Rafe. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

The three men busted out of the room and into the hallway to face a very annoyed Jedi knight weilding a glowing light saber and a very bad attitude. He was tired, angry, and frustrated in more ways than one. These guys were simply another silly obstacle in his attempt to reach Sari. 

He deflected their first round of blaster shots easily, but then the men circled around him, their faces aglow with pride in their quick action. Obi-Wan remained in his ready stance, saber lit, Jedi frown of concentration etched on his face. Through the Force, he effortlessly sensed their every move before they made it and blocked whatever they threw his way. 

The men decided to attempt direct hand to hand combat and lunged at the Jedi, swinging fists and proffering kicks. In only seconds, the scene became one of utter chaos-- legs and arms flailing this way and that. All four men combined as if to form some kind of eight-armed, eight-legged creature. No one could have made out an individual person as the fight continued. 

Obi was trying not to kill the men, so he had turned off his saber, relying instead on his physical prowess and grace---- along with the Force. Finally, he had had enough. Mustering the Force against the three men determined against him, he stood straight, throwing his arms up and out to the sides. Then he Force-slammed each of the three men into walls and floors, knocking them unconscious. Straightening his tunic, Obi-Wan Kenobi was ready to finish this mission at once. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"So, we're alone again," Jaik said after Perrin left the room. Sari could hear the scuffle going on down the hallway, and her heart soared. Rescue was so close! She glanced back at the children, casting them a reassuring glance and hoping they would understand her meaning. 

"Yeah, it sure looks that way," Sari replied, her thoughts drifting once again to the blaster hidden at her side. _//All Obi needs is a few more minutes,//_ she thought. Surely, she could give him that much. 

"Well, it appears that we have once again run out of time in this relationship. Perrin wants you out of the way, and I have to do it. It's nothing personal, Sari. Really." 

_//Does he realize how much of an idiot he is?//_ Sari thought as he spoke. 

Jaik once again raised his blaster and took aim at the young teacher. Sari peered quickly at the door, but no Obi-Wan. Maybe he wouldn't make it in time after all. Fear gripped her heart, and she closed her eyes waiting for the worst. 

"Goodbye, Sari," Jaik said with a slight hint of remorse. 

Sari heard the blaster shot, but didn't feel anything. _Was she dead?,_ she wondered. Slowly, she opened her eyes to find Jaik sprawled face down on the ground, his blaster across the floor. She also saw the scar in the wall where his shot had hit. Something wasn't adding up. 

In the hall, the sound of fighting could still be heard. No, Obi-Wan was not here. Confused, she turned around and found an unbelievable sight. Aido, the Rodian boy, stood holding the metal lid of a storage box, a look of shock on his own face. It only took a second for Sari to figure it all out. Aido had crept up and whacked Jaik with the lid sending the man crumpling to the floor in a heap. 

Jaik groaned and began to move just a little. Sari instantly pulled out her blaster and held it firmly at Jaik. Then she began to laugh. A stunted chuckle at first, but then it became louder and more prolonged as the realization of the situation dawned on her. 

The children Jaik had betrayed, had now redeemed themselves. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Obi-Wan had seen it with his own eyes, but almost didn't believe it. Just as the Jedi was entering the room, Jaik had shot at Sari, only to be bashed on the head by one of her students. Sari and the boy were stunned by the result, as was the Jedi. He quickly ran over to where they stood and took control of the situation. 

"Are you all right?" he asked Sari and the children. 

"Yes," Sari replied in between her laughter. "Yes, we're fine... all of us." Then she handed the blaster to Obi-Wan and grabbed Aido, squeezing him with all her might. Pulling him back to arm's length, she smiled from ear to ear. "Thank you, Aido. Thank you. You saved us all." 

The other children moved to encircle him and offer their thanks and praise for his bravery. Sari stood back and watched them with satisfaction and love. Obi-Wan again watched her with great affection. She took a few steps back and bumped into him. 

"Oh! I'm sorry!" she offered. Obi-Wan held her gaze silently and then wrapped an arm around her pulling her close. Sari responded in kind by throwing her arms around him and laying her head against his chest. They both held on to each other for dear life, and Obi-Wan repeatedly lavished kisses on her head as he thought of how close he had come to losing her. 

"We'd better get going. I don't know how long they'll be out for." 

Sari simply nodded in agreement before gathering the children around for one last set of directions. 

Obi-Wan led the entourage out of the warehouse and into the dawn's early light. Not much darkness was left, so they'd have to move quickly. Sari brought up the rear where she was flanked by several of the students who were now unwilling to leave her side. 

"Miss Zendar, do you like Jedi Kenobi?" asked one little girl. 

"Yeah, I think he likes you, Miss Zendar! He was kissing your _hair_!" 

Sari just chuckled. Seeing the children concerned with this instead of with wondering if they would live another day, renewed her heart. 

"Do you really think he likes me?" she asked playfully. Their little heads all nodded vigorously, and she smiled largely. "Well, I like him, too!" she said as if sharing some big hidden secret. The children giggled and moved quickly to share the 'news' with the others ahead of them. In no time flat, the information had traveled the 'telephone' line up to the front. Ney'la, the Twi'lek girl, was the last 'station' before Obi-Wan, and so she was the chosen messenger. Prompted by the urgings of her classmates, the girl tugged on Obi-Wan's tunic to get his attention. 

"Jedi Kenobi?" 

He glanced back and said, "Yes?" 

Ney'la looked back to her classmates for one last surge of confidence and then spoke. 

"Do you like Miss Zendar?" Giggles rose from the front half of the group as they awaited his answer. With a big grin, the Jedi replied, deciding to play the game. 

"How did you know?" he asked playfully, stopping to bend down to her level. "I was trying to keep it a secret!" More giggles sprung up as he lightly touched her nose with his finger. 

"Well, she likes you, too!" Ney'la added, thinking she was revealing something new to him. 

"She does?" Obi-Wan replied in feigned shock. "Well now... I might just have to do something about this then, won't I?" He sweetly put his arm around the girl and continued to lead them through the still quiet city, back to the hangar and their ride to freedom. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

During the hike back to the hangar, Obi-Wan mulled over the outcomes of this mission. Even though these children were now safe, for all intents and purposes, Perrin had escaped unharmed, free to strike again. At least now, Obi-Wan had proof that the man was involved in the slave trade. When he got back to Coruscant, he could make sure that Perrin was investigated and prosecuted for his crimes. 

_Coruscant_. 

The thought was like a dagger through his heart. He glanced back at Sari who caught him looking and offered a breathtaking smile.... a smile that said all that words could not. How could he leave her?......... He couldn't....... he wouldn't. There had to be a way. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

They reached the hangar just as the sun was rising to herald the beginning of a new day on Melkior. Sari was slightly envious of all of the couples who had stayed 'in' the night before. Right now she was so unbelievably tired that any reclining surface would suffice, padded or not. 

As they boarded the ship, her heart sank to the soles of her feet. With each passing minute, she was drawn closer to time for Obi-Wan to depart. She wanted to beg him to stay with her, but knew she'd only be setting herself up for disappointment. Absent mindedly, she took the glitterstone necklace, the symbol of their bonding, in her hand and rubbed the stone between her fingers. She refused to believe that it meant nothing to him, for it meant everything to her. 

She glanced up and saw him watching her. He quickly looked away. _//He knows//_ she said to herself. _//He knows what I'm thinking.//_

__

__Sari stayed in the cargo hold long enough to get the children settled in for the flight back to Ankara. There, they would refuel and restock their supplies. Sari had happily donated the funds after withdrawing from her bank account. Obi assured her that she would be reimbursed, but she insisted it was her pleasure to help the children she loved. 

Obi-Wan had plotted their course and was meditating in the pilot's seat of the cockpit when Sari entered. She sat down quietly and tried not to disrupt him, but he could sense her before she even walked through the door. 

"Are they all settled in?" he asked, his eyes still closed. 

"Yeah. Most of them are already asleep." She wiggled around in the co-pilot's chair, trying to get comfortable. "I showed them which button to push if they needed us." 

Awkward silence filled the air. Neither one wanted to mention the inevitable. Finally, Obi-Wan decided to speak. 

"Sari, I think we should talk about things. Don't you?" 

"Yes... that's a good idea," she replied as she squirmed into a new position. 

"Well, we need to discuss what's going to happen when we get back to Teemar. I'll have to return to Coruscant and report on the mission... and check on Anakin." He glanced over at her and she had her back to him and her head snuggled into the back of the chair. "You realize that I have to go, right?" A slight nod let him know she was still listening. 

"Well, I've been racking my brain trying to figure out what to do about us. We both have other responsibilities. I have Anakin, and you have your students." He decided that he would continue since he was on a roll, even though she wasn't responding. He knew she was upset, as was he. 

"I just want you to really think about what you want to do about all of this. I care a great deal for you, Sari...... a great deal." Still no response. "I... I... want to stay bonded to you-- if you'll have me. I want to be with you. I love you." 

There. He had said it. 

"Sari?" he asked, surprised that she hadn't responded at all. "Sari?" He leaned up in his seat and peered over, only to realize why she had been so quiet. 

She was asleep. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The blaring alarm woke Sari from her sleep in the copilot's chair. Sitting bolt upright, it took her a few seconds to orient herself and realize where she was. 

"Do you feel better?" 

Obi-Wan's voice caused her to jerk her head around to look at him, but she regretted the quick move as a sharp pain shot up her neck to the back of her head. A small groan escaped her lips as she tried to rub the ache away. 

"Yeah.... I think," she added with a hint of sarcasm. Slowly, she remembered falling asleep and the conversation she had begun with Obi-Wan yet did not finish. "I'm sorry I fell asleep. I didn't realize how tired I was," she apologized. 

"Don't worry about it. We can finish later. Right now we're nearing Ankara Station. We'll refuel, buy some food, and then leave as soon as possible. I'm also going to find a public holo and call ahead. I'm sure their families will want to know they are all okay." 

"Sounds good!" she replied. He was always thinking of others first and tending to his responsibilities before all else. A sudden silly thought flitted through her mind. She would love to tend to him..... pamper him a bit and let him know how wonderful he was. But would she ever get the chance? She definitely couldn't do anything on board this ship with twenty kids in the next room! Now she could have smacked herself for falling asleep without hearing what he had to say. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Ankara Space Station only had the pleasure of the group's company for little over an hour. That's how long it took Obi-Wan to take care of business and blast off back into space running full speed to Teemar. Sari had kept the children on board the ship to avoid any complications. She knew they should return the children to their families as soon as possible, but part of her didn't want to hurry because the sooner they arrived, the sooner Obi-Wan would be gone from her life. 

The return trip would be quicker than their first on the run-down transport---- only one day in hyperspace as opposed to two in regular spaceon board the 'luxury liner'. After making sure that all coordinates were entered and all systems functioning normally, Obi-Wan relaxed into his chair for some quiet meditation, and hopefully some much needed shuteye. 

Sari peered into the cockpit and grinned at the sleeping form of Obi-Wan Kenobi. She held her finger to her mouth and shushed the others behind her in the corridor. Unable to resist, she tiptoed over and placed a soft kiss on his forehead. The feelings she had for this man filled her heart until it seemed it would burst. The prospect of never seeing him again ripped her soul in two. 

Slowly, his eyes opened and a contented smile spread across his handsome face. "Thank you," he offered, grabbing her hand and placing a return kiss on the back of it. A few stifled giggles sounded from outside the cockpit, and he leaned back in his chair to see three little faces looking back at him. 

"Well, what have we here?" he asked playfully. "I was unaware we had rescued a ship full of... spies!" His feigned shock brought more giggles from the children and their teacher. Waving his hand, he invited them into the cockpit. "Come in, come in." The children entered eagerly and instantly began asking the function of every single knob and switch on the control board. Sari watched as Obi-Wan patiently answered every question with answers simple enough for even the younger ones to understand. 

Finally, figuring he had had enough-- even though he didn't show it-- Sari shooed the children back down the corridor to join the others. In just a few moments, she returned to the cockpit and slumped into the empty seat next to Obi-Wan. 

"Whew!" she sighed. "They are exhausting, aren't they?" 

"The energy of youth should be fostered--- not stifled." His statement made Sari feel a bit ashamed. "But, you're right. They can be a handful." That helped soothe her open embarrassment. 

"You really are wonderful with children. It's almost a shame that you can only have one padawan at a time. Anakin is one lucky young man to have you as his teacher." 

Obi-Wan snorted. "I doubt he would agree with that conclusion. Besides, one willful, stubborn padawan is all I could possibly handle. At times, one is almost too much!" 

"Well, believe me or not, children adore you," she replied, unwilling to let him ruin this compliment. 

"What about you? Do you adore me?" he asked, regretting the words as soon as they escaped his lips. Sari turned to him in surprise. She hadn't expected that question at all. "Forget I said that," he stated quickly, not daring to look at her. 

"Yes," she said, not taking her eyes off of him, willing him to look at her. He finally did. 

"Yes. I admire you.... I respect you......... and I ... adore you, Obi-Wan Kenobi." She held his gaze for several moments before looking away. Neither knew what to do or say next, and an uncomfortable silence filled the air. 

"Miss Zendar?" came a tiny voice from the door. Both adults turned as the small Ryn girl explained that Sari was needed in the cargo hold. 

Watching Sari leave, uncertainty surrounded Obi-Wan's thoughts once again. Duty had always been his guiding light, but when did duty to himself ever take precedence over service to others? Surely, just because he had chosen to be a Jedi didn't mean that he could never do anything for himself--- did it? Usually with time things became clearer to him. In this case, time was only serving to confuse the situation even more. He had to think of something--- and fast. Teemar was only several hours away. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

_More to come......._


	16. Chapter 16

Following Your Heart-- Chapter 16 

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Obi-Wan did not get another chance to be alone with Sari for the remainder of the flight back to Teemar. The children, in their excitement to get home to their families, had managed to monopolize her attention with their individual versions of the shared adventure. Before he knew it, Teemar burst into sight, growing ever larger in the viewport as they neared the planet. 

When they docked in the hangar of the Teemar Capitol Spaceport, the families of each child were anxiously waiting along with a handful of authorities. After many tear-filled hugs and welcome home kisses, the children were briefly questioned and then released to their parents. Sari and Obi-Wan were also swept off to the closest law enforcement office to brief the others on the details of the incident. 

By the time they were finished telling and retelling their story several times, it was well into the evening. Neither had eaten much in the last two days, and Sari's desire for a hot meal was rivaling that of her longing for a hot bath. Home sounded wonderful to her for she couldn't bear another thought about the children for the night. 

She and Obi-Wan stepped outside of the police headquarters and sighed deeply at the same time. Both snapped their heads to look at the other and then grinned. 

"It's been a long day, hasn't it?" Obi-Wan asked. 

"It sure has!" Sari exclaimed with a firm nod. "I am definitely ready to get home, get a bath, and go to bed! What about you?" She realized too late that her declaration may have sounded a bit like an innuendo, but she was more surprised when she admitted to herself that she wasn't really all that embarrassed. 

"I guess I'd better find a room and get some rest myself," Obi added awkwardly. Sari was suddenly offended and placed her hands on her hips in defiance. 

"You'll do no such thing, Obi-Wan Kenobi!" she declared. "You're coming home with me." 

"But--," he began, only to be cut short. 

"No buts about it! The least I can do for the man who saved my students is offer him a place to stay." She paused and lowered her gaze to the ground. Slowly, she looked back up and softly said, "Besides, I'd like to be with you for a while before....... before you have to leave." 

Now she was looking boldly into his heart-melting eyes, willing him to say yes, and he did. Gently, he took her delicate hand into his large one and smiled. 

"I'd like that very much, Sari," he said with his sensually accented voice. //VERY much,// he added to himself. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

They arrived at Sari's apartment not long after. The minute she crossed the threshold, a huge sigh of relief issued forth from deep within her. 

"I have never been so happy to see this place!" she exclaimed. She quickly made a quick sweep of all the rooms, making sure all was as she left it. It was. The few dirty dishes from the morning of the kidnapping were still stacked by her kitchen sink, and the overflowing laundry hamper in her room was practically begging to be relieved of its contents. 

Sari sighed again-- this time in disgust. "Yuck! I was hoping this would all be _magically_ cleaned up when I got back." Obi-Wan offered a small chuckle, and then awkward silence fell between them again. //What next?// Sari thought. 

"Can I get you anything? A drink? Something to eat?" she asked. Suddenly, she was very nervous about him being there. What was he expecting? What did she expect? She wasn't really sure. 

Obi-Wan could sense her anxiety and felt his own building inside. "Could I borrow your holoprojector again? I should contact Anakin and the council to inform them of Perrin's involvement." 

"Oh.... yeah. No problem. You know where it is, right?" He nodded. "Well, I think I'm going to jump in the shower. Three days of built-up space scum is screaming to be scrubbed away! Let me just grab some clean clothes, and I'll be out of your way." She walked back to her room, Obi-Wan following behind. He took a seat at her desk and turned on her machine. 

"There are several messages on here. Would you like to look through them before I log on?" he asked. 

"They might be for you, so go ahead and check them out. I'll take a look when I'm done. I can't stand this dirt for a second longer!" Then she grabbed her robe off of the bed and headed for the beckoning bathroom, certain she would feel better as soon as she was clean. 

Obi-Wan pushed the 'play messages' button and sat back in his chair when the mechanical voice stated there were ten new messages. //This might take a while!// he thought. 

The first few were of Anakin before Obi-Wan had contacted him on the ship to Ankara Station. The next was from Chairman Calder. He was concerned about Sari and her failure to return to school after the children were found to be missing. Next was a woman, an older version of Sari almost. He assumed it was her mother. 

"Sari? You know I hate talking to these machines! Oh, well, I was just checking in on you since I hadn't heard from you in a few days. How was your date with that handsome teacher from your school? You know, you should bring him over for dinner some night, Dear." 

Obi-Wan had to laugh out loud at the reference to Jaik Rafe. Wouldn't she be surprised?! But then a pang of jealousy shot through him. What would have happened to her if he had never shown up on Teemar? Would she have found that she really liked Jaik? He didn't think she would have been fooled by Rafe for long, but even a little bit of time with the creep would have been too much. He found himself wondering if Sari's mother would like him more than Jaik. //What a silly thought!// he scolded himself, but there it was anyway. Would he ever even get to meet her family? Would she even tell them about him and their bonding? He shook the thoughts away and played the next message. 

It was Anakin again. 

"Obi-Wan, are you okay? Be sure to contact me as soon as you can. Master Yoda seemed a little agitated after your call. I heard some of the other masters mentioning something about you and _Melida/Daan_. I'm not sure what that meant, but I get the sense that all is not well with you and the council. Am I right? Oh, well. Just call me as soon as you get back. May the Force be with you." 

Obi-Wan pushed the replay button and listened to the boy again. _Melida/Daan_....... a thousand memories flooded his heart and mind. As a new padawan, he had left the Jedi to join the youth of the war-torn planet in an attempt to bring peace between the two tribes. It had taken some time and much effort on his part to be accepted back into the order after such a catastrophic move. Now, others were thinking he was going to leave again. He couldn't bring himself to be angry with them for gossiping because the thought of leaving had definitely been going through his mind lately. He sat in quiet contemplation just staring at the screen, never noticing Sari standing in the doorway. 

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Sari remained silent as she watched his profile from the door. She couldn't help but wonder about Anakin's message. Who was Melida Daan? The mention of the name had brought a pained look to his face. Then Anakin had mentioned Obi-Wan leaving the Jedi , and her heart jumped at the possibility. 

_//Is he truly considering giving it all up?-- For me?//_ she pondered. Part of her was very flattered, if indeed that was the case. There was nothing more she would like than to be with him. 

However, her practical, logical, and highly ethical side knew she could never let him leave the order, especially since she had come to understand how much of his life had been spent attaining his current position. 

No.... she wouldn't let him do it. 

"Is everything okay?" she finally asked. Startled, Obi-Wan turned to find her standing at the door in her lavender satin robe. He wasn't sure if it was the surprise of finding her there or of finding her there looking so stunning that made him catch his breath. Even though her dark hair was wet, it still hung in soft curls around her delicate face. The clean scent of her was already wafting its way through the air to his nose. 

"Sari!" he exclaimed. "You startled me." 

"You were so lost in your thoughts. I didn't want to interrupt, but would you like to talk?" she asked as she entered the room and sat down on the corner of her bed. 

"It was just Anakin," he replied, obviously trying to avoid a discussion. "You had a message from your mother. She was wondering how your date with Jaik turned out." He laughed nervously, hoping his ploy would work. He didn't know if he could share his true feelings with her now. He had had the confidence on board the shuttle, but now it was nowhere to be found. 

"Who is Melida Daan?" Sari asked boldly, her curiosity getting the best of her. The surprised look on his unshaven face turned quickly back to a frown. She was somewhat perturbed by his lack of an answer, which only made her more determined to get a response. 

"I think I deserve to know who she is, considering we're bonded--- unless you had already forgotten about that." Obi-Wan could sense her insecurity and didn't quite know how he should respond. Sari continued. 

"Her name sure sent you into another world. Is she your girlfriend?" Sari knew she was being blatantly jealous and juvenile, but she couldn't help herself. If she had let herself fall for a man who was already involved with someone else, well..... she would be ...... upset. 

Obi-Wan couldn't help himself. He laughed out loud causing her to teeter on the edge of mild fury. 

"I don't think it's funny, Obi-Wan Kenobi!" she declared, her eyes shooting daggers straight at him. "If you have another woman--- or women---- I want to know right now!" 

Still grinning, he got up and walked over to the bed, kneeling in front of Sari and taking her hands in his. Gazing up into her fiery blue eyes, Obi-Wan was suddenly struck by how much he had come to care for her. So much, in fact, that he was contemplating a life outside the order. 

"Melida/Daan is not a person. It's a planet," he said softly. Realization slowly dawned on Sari, and her look softened. Obi then pushed a stray curl behind her ear. "And you are the only woman in my life, Sari Zendar. No other women..... just you." His voice and touch were so gentle that she just melted into his hands. 

"Just me?" she managed to whisper. Obi-Wan leaned up near her face and gazed deeply into her eyes. 

"Just you," he repeated almost inaudibly. Then he pressed his lips tenderly to hers, and her every nerve sprung to life at his touch. It only took a moment for her arms to instinctively wrap around his neck, and she found herself returning his kisses with more fervor than she expected. 

Finally, in need of a breath, Sari pulled back. They just sat there, both breathing rapidly, staring into each other's eyes, not wanting to look away or let go. She could still taste him on her mouth and was certain the feel of his lips would be forever etched in her memory. 

"I don't want you to go," she blurted out. _//Why did you say that?!//_ she scolded herself silently. It was exactly what she had intended NOT to say. Again, he was a bit taken aback, but his Jedi cool allowed him to recover quickly. He moved to the bed beside her before responding. 

"I don't want to go either," he admitted with a grin. Now Sari was the one in shock. 

"You don't?" she asked. 

"No, I don't. I would love to stay here... with you." _Was she hearing him correctly?_ A huge smile spread across her face, but then quickly faded. 

"But?" she added. "It can't be that simple. There has to be a 'but'." 

Now his smile disappeared. It was time to lay all of their sabaac cards out on the table. 

"You're right. There always seems to be a 'but' right where you don't want it to be, doesn't there?" 

She simply nodded and could feel her chest tightening into a giant knot of dread. Hopefully she could hold back the tears that she could already feel pooling in her eyes. She had to be strong--- for his sake. 

"The truth is that I do want to be with you, Sari...... BUT-- my life just isn't that simple. I made a vow when I became a Jedi. I committed myself to train Anakin. I promised Qui-Gon, and I can't go back on that promise." He could see the tears welling in Sari's eyes, and his heart broke. 

"I understand," she somehow managed to mutter over the lump in her throat. 

"No, I don't think you understand all of it," he interjected as he gently lifted her chin. "I love you, Sari. It's something beyond explanation.... something I never thought would happen in my life, but it has. And I can't just let it go, despite my promises as a Jedi." 

_What was all of this leading up to?,_ she wondered. 

"I love you, too," she said. The words seemed to free and bind her all at the same time, but they had been said and could not be taken back. His eyes sparkled with joy at her revelation, and he pulled her into his embrace, kissing her damp hair and squeezing so tight that she thought she might break in two. 

"You could come with me," he offered in hope once his grip had loosened. "I could finish Anakin's training, and I'm sure I could find you a teaching position on Coruscant if you wanted. Or you wouldn't even have to work. I could take care of you. Granted, I'm not wealthy, but I'll provide everything you need." 

Sari looked at his face and saw not the confident Jedi knight Kenobi, but instead an impulsive, idealistic young man that wasn't thinking logically. His innocent eagerness almost convinced her that such a reality was possible for them...... almost. 

"What would the Jedi council say? You told me that not many Jedi married and those that did, usually left the order. Are you sure they would approve or even let us be together?" 

Obi looked at her in confusion. "Sari, being a Jedi doesn't make me a slave to the council. I'm still an individual with my own life to lead." However, as he said it, he recalled how many times he had felt like a slave. He tried to shake it off. " We could figure all of that out when the time came. I just want to be with you .... if you want to be with me, that is." 

"Of course, I want to be with you!" she declared. "I just......" she trailed off. 

"What?" he urged her to continue. 

"I just.... there's a lot to think about. My family is here. My job is here. It's all I've ever known. Plus, I can't just let you throw away all you've worked for. Being a Jedi is your whole life. You told me that yourself. You might come to find that I wasn't worth all you'd have to forsake. I couldn't let you do that." Sari lowered her eyes and felt a few hot tears stream down her cheeks. She couldn't let him ruin his life for her. Looking back up, she found him staring at her. "What is it?" she asked after a sniffle. 

"I'm still stuck on the you won't 'let' me part," he said with a grin. She had to grin, too, at his repeat of her words from much earlier in their experience together. "It's not about you 'letting' me do anything," he continued. "It's what I want....... I had hoped it was what you wanted, too." 

Sari was torn as she looked into his eyes. He was eagerly awaiting her response.... the words that might determine their futures..... the words that could lead them down the right or wrong path. What should she say? Her mind and heart reeled with the choices and their possible outcomes. 


	17. Chapter 17

Following Your Heart-- Chapter 17 

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Sari's heart was urging her to grab Obi-Wan Kenobi and promise her undying devotion to him for all eternity. 

Then there was her mind. As usual, it was thinking too much---- being too practical... too logical. The tug-of-war taking place inside of her was almost too much to bear. 

"I...I...," she stuttered. Obi-Wan was locked on her face, awaiting her response. He was so sincere--- the most honest, kind, loyal man she had ever met. She knew he would keep his word and provide for her no matter the cost to himself, and she didn't think she could go through life knowing she had been the cause of his departure from the only way he had ever known. 

"I need to think about this," she finally said. He was surprised, to say the least, and he unconsciously backed away and dropped her hand from his. 

"Alright," he said quietly. Sari could see the hurt in his eyes and almost threw her own caution to the wind, but kept herself under control. The uncomfortable silence hung heavy in the air like the smog on Coruscant during the summer. Neither knew what to say, and both started fidgeting and looking around the room for a place to rest their eyes besides one another's faces. 

"Well, this is quite awkward, isn't it?" Obi-Wan said after a few more seconds. 

"Yeah," Sari replied. 

"Um... I think I'll go use your refresher and clean up a bit." 

"Sure," she said as he stood and left the room. Once she heard the door shut and the water start running, Sari exhaled the huge breath she had been holding. Then she grabbed a pillow and proceeded to smash it into her face hoping to stifle her screams of frustration with her current situation. 

//I can't believe this!// she screamed inwardly. //The man of my dreams is practically begging me to be with him, and I'm being logical?! I am now certifiably insane!// she concluded. Her heart was ripping in two. 

The beeper on her holoprojector startled her, and she jumped before realizing what it was. After her heartbeat slowed its pace, she moved to her desk and answered the call. 

"Hello, dear." 

"Hi, Mom," Sari replied to her caller. 

"You know, your father and I have been so worried about you. You haven't called in over a week, and I haven't been able to get you on the holo. Are you okay?" 

Sari smiled at her mother's sincere concern for her. "Yeah, Mom. I'm fine... I've just been really... busy this week." 

"Well, I can't tell you how relieved I am to finally talk to you. I was starting to think such horrible things, but your father-- you know how silly he thinks I am when I worry. I know you're an adult, but you're still my baby girl, and you always will be. I'll never stop worrying." 

Sari chuckled as her mother continued to talk. She had always been close to her parents. While all of her brothers had moved offworld, she had been the one to remain. Even though they were in another city, she had always liked the comfort of having them only hours away. If she were to go with Obi-Wan, when would she get to see them again? Sari refocused on her mother's chatter. 

"...just so proud of you, Sari, and all you do for those children. They are so lucky to have you at that school. I just don't know what they'd do without you." The words pierced Sari's heart like a vibroblade. 

"Me neither, Mom," she replied. The children did need her. Did Obi-Wan need her more? As much as she didn't want to admit it, she was sure he could manage just fine without her. However, the children were going to need her to help them get through this. How could she leave them now? 

Their conversation went on for a few more minutes. After the transmission ended, Sari knew what she would do. She plopped down onto her bed and decided to rest her eyes until Obi-Wan came out of the refresher. Then they would talk. 

Over and over, she rehearsed what she would say to him. She wouldn't get too close to him or let him touch her. And she definitely wouldn't look too long into his eyes. His eyes always managed to undo her resolve. No, she would be strong for the both of them. It had to be done--- even if it broke her heart. 

As the minutes dragged on, Sari found it harder and harder to focus her thoughts and keep her eyes open. Finally, she surrendered to sleep, all thoughts of Obi-Wan and the children gone from her slumbering mind. 

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Obi-Wan stared at himself in the mirror. Not since he was a teenager had he cut himself shaving, but now there were three...no, four cuts on his face. All focus was gone. He had tried a Jedi calming technique, but the current state of his heart and mind couldn't seem to be manipulated by the Force. 

"Sithspawn!" he cursed. //What is wrong with you, Obi-Wan Kenobi? You're a fool, that's what's wrong.// He couldn't take this 'not knowing' and determined to settle the matter right then. 

As he opened the refresher door, he called Sari's name and readied himself to hear the final verdict. When she didn't answer, he tried again as he walked into her room. 

"Sari, we need to--" He didn't finish his sentence because it would have been pointless. There, curled up on the bed lay a sleeping Sari. Obi-Wan chuckled and sighed. "Not again." Only, he couldn't be angry. She had been through so much for someone not used to such adventures. 

He walked over to the bed and looked down upon her resting form. //Her face is that of an angel,// he said to himself as he pushed the hair away from her cheeks. He let his hand linger to feel the softness of her skin, and as he touched her, he got a sudden overwhelming sense of what she had been feeling. Not being awake, she could not put up any Force barriers to block her emotions from being read, and even though he knew it probably wasn't ethical to read her while she was asleep, he couldn't help himself. 

The complexity of her thoughts and emotions was astonishing. He could feel her inner turmoil and everything became crystal clear to him. She loved him. That much he knew was true. She wanted to be with him.... yet, her sense of duty was holding her back. Even though it tore his heart asunder, he couldn't fault her for those feelings because that had been his own mindset many times throughout his life--- duty before self. Only now he was wishing for duty to clear out of the way, even if he was being selfish. He felt how much she cared for the children and her family... how she would be heartbroken if forced to give them up. He lowered his head. He couldn't do this to her. It wasn't fair. 

Obi-Wan Kenobi knew what he had to do. It wouldn't be easy, but it would be for the best. However, there was one thing he wanted to do first. 

Carefully, so as not to wake Sari, he climbed into bed beside her and snuggled up against her back. Just once he wanted to lie down with his wife before he left. Gently touching her temple, he sent a light brush of the Force to make sure she wouldn't wake up. Then he tenderly pulled her into his arms and softly kissed her head as a single tear fell down his cheek. For once in his life, he had let go-- lived a little--- fell in love...... and it was the best and worst feeling he had ever felt. 


	18. Epilogue

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**Following Your Heart--Epilogue**

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***Here it is..... the final chapter. I hope you've enjoyed it. :)**

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Sari Zendar sat at her desk, her head throbbing with a dull ache due to the myriad of projects still needing to be graded before the end of the term. Lately, she hadn't been able to keep up with her school work like she had been before....... before **_him_**. 

As the all too familiar knot began to form in her throat at the very thought of him, she struggled to hold back the tears. She was beginning to wonder when they would ever stop. All it took was for one student to ask if she'd heard from Jedi Kenobi, and the floodgates would be on the brink of bursting open. She'd reply, "Not yet," and then scurry off into the hallway until the feeling of despair was bearable again. 

Wiping her eyes, Sari picked up her carry bag and carefully pulled out the most precious possession she owned--- his letter. 

Not a day had gone by that she hadn't read it at least three times. During the first few weeks, though, it had been much more than that. The paper was pitifully crumpled and worn from all of the folding and unfolding, in addition to the few tears that had landed on it during the hundreds of readings. She kept hoping that by reading it again, she would find something new--- wishful thinking, she knew deep down, but each time she opened the paper, her heart lurched with the possibilities. 

She began to read. 

Her stomach turned as she realized how close she had been to absolute happiness. He had sensed her inner turmoil and loved her enough to give her up, keeping her from having to make such a hard decision. He had held her in his arms and thought of all they could have had together. Not a day had gone by since his departure that she didn't think of the same thing. While she had been sleeping on that fateful day, a dream had come to her, clearing her mind and showing her the path she should take. Only when she awoke, he was already gone leaving one handwritten letter in his place and no choice for her to make. 

She had been devastated, angry, sad, depressed, and all of those other desperate emotions over the last two months. _//Two months?//_ she asked herself. _//Has it really been so long already?//_

__

Sari had not tried to contact him, or rather she had not _followed through_ with an attempt to contact him. She was too embarrassed or proud-- depending on how she felt that particular day. Several times she had thought about it-- even gone so far as to begin punching in the code number from one of Anakin's old messages-- but could never force herself to press the last key. She assumed that Obi-Wan probably preferred to forget all about her and Teemar... and their bond. 

Again the tears began to flow. Was she destined to be miserable for the rest of her life? Surely not--- she hoped-- but how could she be anything else without him in her life? 

A sudden surge of clarity rippled through her body and she straightened in her chair. This had to stop. She absolutely could not continue on like this. She must forget all about Obi-Wan Kenobi and get on with her life. He was nothing to her anymore. 

_//Then why are you still wearing that necklace and holding on to that ratty piece of_ _paper?//_ her own inner voice questioned. She sighed as her finger moved to touch the glitterstone pendant around her neck. If she tried to insist that he meant nothing to her, then she was lying to herself. She loved him with all her heart. 

"Oh well," she sighed again as she put the letter back into her carry bag. It was getting late. All of the other teachers were gone, and she was getting hungry. Maybe some dinner would brighten her outlook. She turned off the classroom lights and started down the hall. 

Sari stopped abruptly as she remembered a question she needed to ask Chairman Calder. The man had been so kind to her since her return, at times much to the chagrin of the other staff. She had been labeled the 'principal's pet' by her teasing colleagues, but part of her felt he owed it to her after all she had done. However, she was trying not to take advantage of his kindness. 

Upon nearing his office, she noticed that his door was slightly ajar and a light was sneaking through. _//Good! He's still here.//_ she thought. She was just about ready to knock when she heard him mention a familiar name. 

"... -Wan Kenobi, my lord." 

Sari caught her breath and stood deathly still. Who was Calder talking to that he would mention Obi-Wan's name? Maybe it was impolite to eavesdrop, but no way was she moving until she heard more. 

"Him, again?" another voice spat with contempt. "He has been an obstacle to my plans too many times before. I grow tired of his meddling. Rest assured that I will take care of him.... once and for all." 

The unfamiliar voice sent a shiver down Sari's spine. It seemed to resonate with pure evil and hatred. Who was this? She had to know. 

Carefully, she peered through the crack in Calder's door, and her blood ran cold. Calder was kneeling in front of a hologram figure who was robed and hooded all in black. Even though she couldn't see his face, the dark feeling he emanated made her tremble. Surely he was from the dark side, as Obi had called it. But what was he doing talking to Calder? Before she had time to think, the men continued talking. 

"Now... about the girl," the dark man said. 

"Yes, my lord. I have kept her close at hand. She knows nothing," Calder replied. 

"She knows too much already. She could be a hindrance when we begin our operation again. I want her gone. Understood?" 

A few seconds of silence passed before Calder nodded in agreement. "Yes, my lord. I will take care of Sari Zendar. You can count on me." 

Sari's hand flew over her mouth to contain her gasp at hearing those words. Suddenly, it was all crystal clear. 

Calder had been in on the child kidnappings the whole time, working in league with this dark man, whoever he was. Obi-Wan had been right in thinking someone else besides Jaik Rafe was involved. Now the kidnappings were going to resume, and Obi-Wan was in danger-- not to mention she was at the top of a hit list, too! What was she going to do? 

Without hanging around to find out what Calder would do next, she hurried quietly out of the school building to her speeder car. Like it or not, her life was just about to make a complete change. Once behind the wheel, she glanced back up at the ancient school building that had been her life for several years now. Deep within, she knew she would never see it again. 

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Please review if you have the time. I'm also working on a sequel, so stay tuned! :) 


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